Hartley’s Violin: Now “Nearer, My God, To Thee”!

15.1N015.titanic3--300x30015.1N015.titanic1--300x300Ok, I am not asking for it but, if anyone is looking for something for my upcoming birthday in May, this would be a great idea. In every movie of the Titanic, the signature moment is the ship band playing as the ship sinks in the cold Atlantic seas. The head of the band was Wallace Hartley leading his seven other band members. Now, Hartley’s violin is being auctioned off. That’s right, the very same violin that Harley took into the water on that April night in 1912.

Harley and his band reportedly played “Nearer, My God, To Thee” for those left on the ship and played to the end.

Titanic auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge and Son, will auction off the instrument after it is exhibited in the town of Devizes, in Wiltshire, England. It was an engagement gift from Hartley’s fiancée, Maria Robinson, and comes with its original leather valise, engraved with Hartley’s initials. It was strapped to his body when he dove into the water. It was found with his body 10 days later.

What is extraordinary is that it was donated by Robinson’s sister with his cigarette case and gold ring to the Salvation Army and later given to an music teacher and then a amateur musician and to its current owner. It is not clear why the Salvation Army did not sell the valuable artifacts.

The final owner was also an amateur musician and her son found the cracked violin in her attic in 2006.

For that eccentric millionaire on the blog, let me just add that this would be a very thoughtful gift and I would throw in three years of free access to the blog.

Source: Yahoo

9 thoughts on “Hartley’s Violin: Now “Nearer, My God, To Thee”!”

  1. The true story is that the violinist was surfing on top of the violin case and died en route to a beach in New Jersey. The body washed up on shore still astride the violin case. They dried out the violin and it played on Broadway during WWI and then disappeared. If the one in the auction is real it will have sand marks on the bottom of the violin case from washing ashore. So sayeth the Lard. Or maybe it was the Krisco.

  2. It’s a hoax. The story is too convuluted to be true. The 1912 records reveal no violin was found with Hartley’s body. There is no record of communication with Maria R. in Nova Scotia. Her “draft” note looks bogus- it is written in block letters, in pencil, on a page from a 1912 daily planner- month of April- how cute.

    So many other details can’t pass the ‘smell’ test. It appears the auction house is in on the scam.

  3. “It is not clear why the Salvation Army did not sell the valuable artifacts.”

    Kudos to the Salwation Army. Some things aren’t to be sold to the highest bidder.

  4. It does not look like I will win a lottery any time soon, but how about I play your favorite music on my violin on your birthday instead, Professor Turley? (Formerly National Gallery Orchestra and Baltimore Opera violinist, Kenndy Center Millennium Stage soloist)

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