The menu of the legendary ship was auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son. The auctioneers explained that this document was created on April 11, three days before the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank.
For the past few years, the menu was in the hands of historian Len Stevenson, who studied the tragedy of the liner. Previously, this unique item likely belonged to one of the surviving passengers. If the menu had been with one of the 1,522 deceased, its condition would have been much worse.
After Stevenson’s death in 2017, his relatives found the menu among his belongings and handed it over to auctioneers. Experts noted that the sheet shows signs of water damage. It also features the logo of the shipping company White Star Line and the initials OSNC (Ocean Steamship Navigation Company) next to the inscription RMS Titanic, which were originally gilded.
Apparently, this menu belonged to a first-class passenger. Here’s what was offered in the Titanic restaurant on the day the liner left Irish Queenstown — the last port the ship visited before the disaster.
Titanic Menu Contents: List of Dishes
Passengers could order:
consommé “Renaissance”;
asparagus cream soup;
salmon with hollandaise sauce;
young fish;
Victorian-style beef tenderloin;
doves “à la Godard”;
young lamb with mint sauce;
roast chicken with bread sauce;
beef fillet with horseradish sauce;
green peas;
parsnip puree;
boiled rice;
potatoes “Anna”;
boiled new potatoes;
duck meat with port wine sauce;
salad;
Victoria pudding;
apricots “Bourdalu”;
French ice cream.
The menu was sold for £84,000, which is approximately $102,000. According to the auctioneers, this is the only menu dated that day. There are several copies from April 14 — the day the Titanic sank. However, earlier samples remained unknown to historians.
“This historical document showcases the glamour and luxurious culinary delights that were available to first-class passengers on the Titanic,” the auction house added.
