An auction house out of Boston is reaching out to the Maritimes, in a search for Titanic artifacts.
RR Auctions is gathering items for an upcoming sale but the campaign is drawing mixed reaction.
“My grandfather was an undertaker for the dead of the Titanic,” explains author and historian Blair Beed. “So I grew up having an interest.”
Beed’s close connection and personal brush with history could yield priceless family artifacts, but don’t expect to see any of his Titantic collection, which includes a letter from a survivor.
“No, no, the letter is with some of those Canada Post stamps, and really good Titanic coins they did,” says Beed. “It’s going to stay here because I just enjoy knowing that I have it.
Marine Biologist Steve Blasco has reached the depths of Titanic’s resting place.
“We had that eerie feeling,” says Blasco. “Even as you’re looking, it’s very spooky when you’re looking at the shadows and the ship, it’s dark and mysterious.”
Blasco says he doesn’t agree with auctioning off artifacts and personal belongings.
“They’re bequest to humanity really,” he adds. “It’s part of our history and culture, so they should be in public display and in museums.”
Bobby Livingston of RR Auctions says that may be where the items are headed.
“Many of these things are in private hands currently, no museums,” explains Livingston. “We want to get them out of private hands, either into Titanic related museums, or into hands of collectors that will curate them and understand the importance of these items.”
Some people in the Maritimes are prepared to part with their possessions, but those items haven’t been made public.
However, the auction already has one prized possession that will soon be on the auction block.
The Loving Cup was presented to the Captain of the Carpathia in recognition and appreciation of rescuing the survivors of the Titanic.
Early estimates suggest it could fetch as much as 2,000 dollars.
Online bidding is set to begin this spring.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett
