The April 10, 1912, letter survived because it was dispatched prior to the ocean liner's departure, preserving its original White Star Line logo and two-and-a-half-penny stamp. Graham had spent time in London on business and conveyed his hopes of meeting his Berlin associate again the following year. Just hours before the catastrophic iceberg collision, he had also sent an optimistic telegram to his wife in Canada, which briefly gave her false hope following initial reports of the disaster before his body was recovered.
Key points
The letter survived the maritime disaster because Graham mailed it from Southampton to Be…: The letter survived the maritime disaster because Graham mailed it from Southampton to Berlin before the ocean voyage commenced.
A telegram sent hours prior to the collision created temporary false hope for Graham's wi…: A telegram sent hours prior to the collision created temporary false hope for Graham's wife before search teams recovered his body.
Despite having plastic tape along the edges and uneven discoloration, the historical docu…: Despite having plastic tape along the edges and uneven discoloration, the historical document remains fully readable.
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A letter written by a Canadian businessman shortly before the Titanic began its first voyage offers a glimpse into the final days of a passenger who never returned home.
George Graham, a first-class passenger travelling from Southampton, England, to New York, wrote to a business colleague in Berlin, Germany, on April 10, 1912. In the letter, he apologised for forgetting to send his greetings earlier and expressed hope that they would meet the following year again. Four days later, the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, killing Graham and many others on board.
The letter survived the disaster and was eventually sold for $16,100 at an auction conducted by Spink Smythe in New York City. According to a report published by World Record Academy on February 23, 2009, the sale established a world record for the most expensive letter from the Titanic.
Graham was from Harriston, Canada, and worked as a sales manager for the Eaton's department store company. He had boarded the Titanic at Southampton with a first-class ticket numbered 112053 and was staying in cabin B-52.
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