ID 1279129
Lot 13 | TITANIC PRESENTATION BURGEE
Estimate value
$ 10 000 – 15 000
EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Stitched cotton, the luff edge stenciled "R.M.S. Titanic" in black ink, and with an applied embroidered felt patch reading From the crew survivors to Mrs. J.J. Brown.
A copy of a White Star Line Titanic burgee, with presentation patch from the surviving crew members to fellow passenger Molly Brown, thought to have been given to her on an anniversary of the sinking in commemoration of her bravery.
The American socialite and philanthropist popularly known as "the unsinkable Molly Brown" was born Margaret Tobin in 1867, near the Mississippi in Hannibal, Missouri. She married James Joseph Brown for love, though he would become wealthy as a mining engineer whose company hit a substantial ore seam. They settled in Denver where she founded the Denver Woman's Club and advocated for women's rights and labor reforms. Molly earned her (posthumous) moniker after the sinking of the Titanic, gaining fame for her heroic efforts during the sinking when she urged the crew to return to the debris and look for survivors.
This is the only presentation flag we have been able to trace at auction, and we have been unable to locate a record of the presentation. The fabric and construction date it to perhaps around the 10th anniversary in 1922, and it was likely made in America.
Framed: 44 5/16 in. (112.6 cm.) high, 37 13/16 in. (96.0 cm.) wide, 2 1/8 in. (3.4 cm.) deep
Provenance
Mrs. J.J. Brown ("Unsinkable Molly Brown"), socialite and Titanic survivor, 1867-1932.
The Ken Schultz Collection, Hoboken, New Jersey.
Anonymous sale; Bonhams New York, 23 May 2012, lot 2130.
Acquired at the above sale by the late owner.
Place of origin: | England, Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom |
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Auction house category: | Letters, documents and manuscripts, Books and manuscripts |
Place of origin: | England, Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom |
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Auction house category: | Letters, documents and manuscripts, Books and manuscripts |
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
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Preview |
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Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
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