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Henry Aldridge & Son

The last-known letter written aboard the Titanic before it sunk has been auctioned off by Henry Aldridge & Son for a record-breaking £126,000. It was written by first class passenger Alexander Oskar Holverson and is eerily prophetic.

Mr Holverson was writing to tell his mother about the journey: "This boat is giant in size and fitted up like a palacial [sic] hotel. The food and music is excellent. So far we have had very good weather," concluding "If all goes well we will arrive in New York on Wednesday A.M."

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Judging by the date, it seems the four-page letter was written the day before the fateful ship struck the iceberg. It was originally recovered — albeit super salt-water-stained — from a pocketbook on Mr Holverson's body.

The letter was originally sent to his brother before being returned to his widow who survived the trip. The estimated value of the letter was £80,000 but it greatly exceeded this on the weekend.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, said: "I'm delighted with the new world record for the Titanic letter. It reflects its status as the most important Titanic letter that we have ever auctioned."

In 2015, a letter written by Titanic survivor Esther Hart sold for £119,000.

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From: Cosmopolitan US
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Tess Koman
Digital Director

Tess Koman covers breaking (food) news, opinion pieces, and features on larger happenings in the food world. She oversees editorial content on Delish. Her work has appeared on Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, and Esquire.com.