‘Remarkable’ first class menu from Titanic sells at auction for $162k

More than 111 years after the Titanic sunk, a “remarkable” and rare artefact has been found and auctioned off for a huge price.

This menu from the Titanic has sold for $162,000. Picture: Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire

A first class dinner menu from the Titanic has sold at auction in England for £84,000 (about $162,000).

The water-stained menu was dated April 11, 1912, just days before the doomed liner hit an iceberg on April 14, causing it to sink. More than 1500 people died.

The menu shows the most wealthy passengers on the ill-fated ship dined on oysters, salmon, beef, squab (baby pigeon), spring lamb with mint sauce, roast chicken with bread sauce, pees, parsnip puree, boiled rice and potatoes, mallard duck with port wine sauce, and salad.

For dessert, there was Victoria pudding, believed to be a boiled pudding filled with fruit, and petits mocka, thought to be a coffee cake, as well as apricots and ice cream.

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire said it is unclear how the menu made it off the ship but the water damage suggests it was likely recovered from the body of a victim.

The meal first class passengers dined on just days before the Titanic sunk. Picture: Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire

The artefact from 111 years ago belonged to amateur historian Len Stephenson, from Nova Scotia, Canada, who died in 2017.

It is believed no one knew he had it, including his family, until it was discovered after his death.

Mr Stephenson’s daughter Mary Anita came across the menu when going through his belongings in storage.

“About six months ago his daughter and his son-in-law, Allen, felt the time was right to go through his belongings,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said. “As they did they found this menu in an old photo album.

“Len was a very well thought-of historian in Nova Scotia which has strong connections with the Titanic. The body recovery ships were from Nova Scotia and so all the victims were taken back there.

“Sadly, Len has taken the secret of how he acquired this menu to the grave with him.”

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge holding the menu. Picture: Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire

Mr Stephenson had been in charge of a post office.

He would talk to people, collect old pictures and write letters for them, Mr Aldridge said.

He said no other April 11 first class dinner menus from the Titanic have been found, making this one “a remarkable survivor from the most famous Ocean liner of all time”.

“There are a handful of April 14 menus in existence but you just don’t see menus from April 11. Most of them would have gone down with the ship,” Mr Aldridge explained.

“Whereas with April 14 menus, passengers would have still had them in their coat and jacket pockets from earlier on that fateful night and still had them when they were taken off the ship.”

The auction house said it sold the menu for £84,000 (about $162,000) on November 11.

Other items sold included a Swiss-made pocket watch recovered from passenger Sinai Kantor, which sold for £97,000 (about $187,000), while a tartan-patterned deck blanket likely used during the rescue operation fetched £96,000 (about $185,000).