Violin played as Titanic sank sells for $1.7 million

Violin played as Titanic sank sells for $1.7 million

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/19/world/europe/titanic-violin-auction/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Rowan Barcham

This Saturday, a violin owned and played by the bandleader of the Titanic was sold at UK auction for over 1.1 million pounds (1.7 million USD). This bid has set the record for the highest yet for an item belonging to a victim of a ship sinking. 

Rumor has it that this same violin was played by the bandleader to calm the passengers as the ship was sinking. 

The violin belonged to bandleader Wallace Hartley. When his corpse was found days after the sinking in 1912, his violin case was strapped around his back. Almost a century later in 2006, the tattered instrument was discovered in an attic of a house in Britain. After various refurbishing experiments, the violin was held for auction in Wiltshire, England. The name of the winning bidder has not yet been released for the public.