A violin that played a pivotal role in James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic has sold for an impressive £54,000 at a specialised auction in Wiltshire, as reported by theguardian.com. The instrument, featured in one of cinema’s most poignant scenes where musicians perform “Nearer My God to Thee” as the ship sinks, captivated bidders at the event focused on memorabilia from the 1912 maritime disaster.
The violin was originally played by Jonathan Evans-Jones, who portrayed band leader Wallace Hartley in the 1997 film. Hartley’s character delivers the unforgettable line, “Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight,” moments before the musicians, along with 1,500 others, perished in the icy Atlantic waters.
The instrument changed hands in 2013 when Evans-Jones sold it to a private collector, who recently consigned it to Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers for Sunday’s sale.
Other significant items at the auction included a letter written by Colonel Archibald Gracie, one of the Titanic’s most well-known survivors, which commanded a staggering £300,000. A rare Titanic manifest sheet and inspection card also found new owners among enthusiasts.
Cameron’s multi-Oscar-winning epic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as star-crossed lovers from different social classes, continues to fascinate audiences worldwide. Winslet recently shared a serendipitous reunion with Evans-Jones during the recording of her Lee Miller biopic soundtrack, initially failing to recognise the musician who had played such a memorable role in the film.
“I’m looking at this violinist and I thought, ‘I know that face,'” Winslet recalled on the Graham Norton Show. The actress described the eventual recognition as “wonderful,” adding to the rich tapestry of stories surrounding the cultural phenomenon that Titanic remains.
Beyond his Titanic role, Evans-Jones has contributed to numerous major productions including No Time to Die, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Wicked.
- Featured image: Jonathan Evans-Jones as band leader Wallace Hartley/CBS Photo Archive/CBS/Getty Images
