Titanic artefact fails to sell at auction

THE star lot in a collection of rare artefacts from the RMS Titanic failed to sell in auction yesterday.

A solid silver centrepiece, which would have adorned a table in the ill-fated liner’s exclusive a la carte restaurant, was removed by second purser Reginald Barker and part-exchanged for a new uniform by the White Star Line tailor Horace Bradshaw just before the Titanic set sail.

The centrepiece and 29 other Titanic items, collected by Mr Bradshaw’s family, went under the hammer at Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London yesterday.