Cracker That Survived the ‘Titanic’ Tragedy Fetches $23,000 at Auction

A photograph of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic fetched $32,200.

The Spillers & Bakers Pilot cracker. Photo courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Sons.

A savory cookie that survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 has fetched a whopping $23,000 at auction this weekend in the UK, thus becoming the world’s most expensive cracker.

The Spillers & Bakers Pilot cracker was taken from the survival kit of one of the Titanic’s lifeboats by a passenger from the Carpathia, a vessel that helped rescue passengers from the Titanic. James Fenwick took the keepsake and put it in an envelope labeled “Pilot biscuit from Titanic lifeboat April 1912.”

The Carpathia came to the Titanic‘s aid after the reputedly “unsinkable” ship hit an iceberg on April 14 1912, in a maritime disaster that lead to the death of over 1,500 people.

The RMS Titanic was at the beginning of a week’s voyage from Southampton, in the UK, to New York City when it struck an iceberg.

The cracker came to auction as part of a Titanic memorabilia sale at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, in the UK. “The interest in the items reflected the worldwide nature of Titanic memorabilia. They captured collectors’ imagination,” Andrew Aldridge said, according to the BBC. The cracker was reportedly bought by a Greek collector.

"Loving Cup" presented to the captain of the <em>Carpathia</em> by <em>Titanic</em> survivor Molly Brown. Photo courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Sons.

“Loving Cup” presented to the captain of the Carpathia by Titanic survivor Molly Brown. Photo courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Sons.

According to the Daily Mail, the most expensive item in the sale was a “loving cup,” which was bought by a UK collector for $197,810. Titanic survivor Molly Brown presented the trophy to Arthur Rostron, the captain of the Carpathia, as a token of gratitude for her- and others- rescues.

Among other items that came to sale was a photograph thought to be of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, which sold for $32,200. The grizzly snapshot, taken by the chief steward of the ship Prinz Adalbert, comes with a statement that tells of a red paint stain on the side of the deadly natural phenomenon. The image was taken the day after the disaster took place.

A photo of the iceberg that is believed to have sunk the <em>Titanic</em> survivor Molly Brown. Photo courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Sons.

A photo of the iceberg that is believed to have sunk the Titanic survivor Molly Brown. Photo courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Sons.

Although the cracker is perhaps the most novel, the “loving cup” is now the third most expensive item of Titanic memorabilia to ever have been sold. A menu from the last lunch served on board the vessel fetched $88,000 at New York’s Lion Heart Autographs earlier this month.


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