UNSINKABLE

Titanic’s ‘Most Important’ Relic Revealed

Violin played by bandmaster as ship went down.

Remember that scene in Titanic when a violinist and other band members played music on deck as passengers climbed into lifeboats, while Rose and Jack were freezing their buns off in the belly of the sinking ship? Well, the music thing actually happened—and the bandmaster’s salt-stained, water-damaged violin has been declared the “most important artifact” related to the ship by Titanic auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, who spent seven years confirming its authenticity. The instrument is worth six figures and will likely be sold in auction in the near future, but for now will be exhibited in Wiltshire, England, and later in Northern Ireland, where the ship was built.