Letter from Titanic bandmaster Wallace Hartley

RMS Titanic - original letter from Bandmaster Wallace Hartley to his parents, written on board Titanic and mentioning the band. The only handwritten letter known to exist, written by the English violinist and Titanic band leader Wallace Hartley while on Titanic. Hartley is perhaps the most identifiable and iconic figure of the disaster, remembered along with his seven other band members for playing music until the very last moments. Indeed, they arguably saved many lives by helping to keep the passengers calm, thus avoiding panic. The band, and Hartley in particular, have been depicted as the ship's heroes in virtually every genre including postcards, song sheets, books, stage and films-as well as history. None of the band survived. The letter consists of two pages on adjoining sheets of on-board Titanic stationery, 10 x 8 inches with company watermark, hand dated by Hartley, 10 April 1912. It bears the red embossed White Star Line logo. Hartley writes to his parents on the first day of sailing, in full: "Just a line to say we have got away all right. It's been a bit of a rush but I am just getting a little settled. This is a fine ship and there ought to be plenty of money on her. I've missed coming home very much and it would have been nice to have seen you all if only for an hour or two, but I couldn't manage it. We have a fine band and the boys seem very nice. I have had to buy some linen and I sent my washing home today by post. I shall probably arrive home on the Sunday morning. We are due here on the Saturday. I'm glad mother's foot is better." Hartley was born in June 1878 making him 33 years old at the time of the disaster. As a musician, he travelled as a Second Class passenger. He did not survive the sinking and his body was recovered by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett and assigned body No. 224. His body was returned to his home town of Colne, Lancashire where he received a very large funeral. We are unaware of any other surviving letter written by Hartley on board the ship. Clearly, this letter which mentions the band and alludes to the wealth on board the ship (implying that some of it would make its way to the band in the form of gratuities) elevates this letter to perhaps the most desirable and important on-board Titanic letter extant

Adjoining Alludes Arguably Assigned Avoiding Bandmaster Burgee Calm Clearly Colne Consists Couldnt Desirable Embossed Exist Extant Extremely Genre Glad Handwritten Hartley Iconic Identifiable Implying Inches Indeed Linen Mackay-bennett Manage Mentioning Mentions Missed Moments None On-board Ought Pages Panic Particular Perhaps Plenty Profound Recovered Remembered Returned Saved Seem Settled Shall Sheets Stationery Superlative Survive Survived Surviving Thus Travelled Unaware Violinist Virtually Watermark Wealth Writes

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