Large Scale Plan Used in Official Inquiry into Titanic Disaster
A hand-drawn plan of the Titanic reportedly used in the inquiry into the sinking of the massive ship in 1912 has sold or a record £220,000 ($363,000), thought to be the highest price ever paid for a piece of the doomed ship’s memorabilia.
The sale price beat expectations for the 32.5-foot-long (9.9-meter) cross-section of the ship. Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers had estimated it could fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 at the sale in Devizes in southern England on Saturday.
The hand-drawn plan of the Titanic was prepared by White Star Line architects for the 1912 British inquiry into the sinking of the ship, just weeks after the disaster. It allowed the 96 witnesses called to testify to indicate various parts of the ship using a pointer. After the inquiry concluded that the loss of the ship had been brought about by excessive speed, the unique plan was returned to White Star.