A quiet English town has become an unlikely hub for Titanic pilgrims, with artefacts selling for more than a million pounds. Henry Aldridge & Son, a family-run auction house in Devizes, Wiltshire, holds the record for every major Titanic item sold at auction and has handled thousands of pieces over four decades.
Record-Breaking Sales
In November 2025, a gold pocket watch recovered from first-class passenger Isidor Straus fetched £1.78 million, a record for Titanic memorabilia. The 18-carat Jules Jurgensen timepiece was recovered from Straus's body after the disaster and remained in his family for generations. It surpassed the previous record of £1.2 million paid for a watch owned by John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the Titanic, sold in April 2024. In April 2026, a lifejacket believed to have been used by survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli sold for £670,000, and a fender from lifeboat 2 went for nearly £400,000.
The Auction House and Its History
Managing Director Andrew Aldridge, a fourth-generation auctioneer, explains that the business was founded by his father Alan in 1990, named after his grandfather Henry, a cattle auctioneer. The firm's first Titanic sale came when Alan sold two White Star Line dinner menus for £10,000 in 2011, far exceeding the previous record of £2,500. Andrew says, “Whenever anything like that happens more items come out of the woodwork and it generates more sales.”
Andrew's fascination began at age seven after watching the film Raise the Titanic in 1980. He later studied law in Southampton, passing the Titanic Engineers' Memorial daily, before switching to Fine Arts Valuation and joining the family business. His wife Chrissie works as Director of Online Sales, which now accounts for 40% of the business, and their eldest daughter Pip, 17, works weekends.
Authentication and Fakes
Authentication is critical. Andrew notes, “Due diligence is absolutely vital, provenance is the byword with these objects. People fake menus, letters, watches, but generally speaking they don’t bring those to us because they know we’ll spot them a mile away. But a lot of fakes do get sold online.” The team meticulously traces ownership and matches items to historical records and photographs. Andrew holds an honours degree in fine arts valuation and is a full member of the Fine Arts Division of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
The Enduring Fascination
The 1997 James Cameron film starring Kate DiCaprio and Leonardo DiCaprio sparked renewed interest, and teachers adopted the Titanic story as a cross-curricular tool. Andrew says, “I am always asked what is the fascination with the Titanic. It’s because it isn’t just one story. It is a story with more than 2,000 sub-plots.”
The inaugural online auction of Titanic and Liner memorabilia began on July 18 and runs until July 26, 2026. Highlights include a letter written onboard by second-class passenger Henry Price Hodges, who did not survive. The letter comments on fine weather and passengers playing dominoes on deck.
Andrew reflects, “The thing about Titanic is we are remembering people that would never have been remembered for a hundred years or more if it hadn’t been for the fact they boarded the Titanic. I feel really lucky to handle these pieces of history and it’s a huge honour.” Asked if he ever buys for himself, he smiles: “I don’t need to. I am the custodian of these items and for a while they sit closely here with me and that is enough.”
