Letter opener and match stand

[HCorrea]

Hello All, I’m new to this forum, but I have been an avid fan of Titanic for about 20 years now. I have collected many small artifacts through the years. About 5-6 years ago, I purchased a letter opener from a person who claimed that the letter opener came from Titanic. The story he spun is that he purchased the letter opener from a widow who claimed her husband, now deceased, was a postal worker in Queenstown, IR( now Cobh). He claimed that the widow said that her husband serviced the Titanic while she was in port there, and that he asked for a souvenir from one of Titanic’s postal workers and he was given a letter opener and matchstick stand set by an American postal worker. The Titanic subsequently sailed to it’s fate, and the set remained with the husband and wife before being sold. The person who sold me the set claimed to have had several experts examine the pieces to determine authenticity. The pieces were even accepted and displayed by a museum that specializes in Titanic. When the pieces were returned to him, he sold them to me along with the accompanying museum documents. In hindsight I realize that buying these relics without certificates saying that they are what he claimed wasn’t the brightest idea. After I had them for awhile, I got curious and started hunting down an expert of my own to examine the pieces. And funnily enough no one wanted to help me find out the nature of these pieces. I have been able to gain little info about them other than they are White Star originals from the Titanic Era. And that is all. Most people I have consulted have flat out stopped talking with me when they find out there isn’t any solid provenance with the items. I do not expect to ever receive what I paid for them in return, and I will love them irregardless of what I learn, but it would sure be nice if I could find someone who knows anything about such a story, or if anyone is familiar with pieces like this.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

There is probably no connection between these two items other than the White Star logo. The ashtray with matchbox holder is made in the 'Regent Plate' pattern of the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, using a basic design style first registered in 1904 (that's the marking Rd 452002, which does NOT indicate the date of manufacture.). It was used by the White Star Line for the 1st Class smoking rooms of their Olympic Class ships, and later for other ships in their fleet. I've seen several of these for sale from dealers and on ebay. Unfortunately they have no date letters so could be from any time 1911 up to the 1920s or later.

I haven't seen a letter opener of that type before. I'd guess it was one of the many souvenir items sold in the barber shops on WSL ships. It might be possible to date it from the markings - certainly it seems to belong in the same general time period and 'art nouveau' style as the ashtray. But they do not form a set.

The story of the postal worker makes no sense. The Titanic was far too big to be 'in port' at Queenstown, and on its only visit it merely paused briefly offshore while mailbags and passengers were taken out to it by tender. No servicing. No time for anybody on the tender to develop a rapport with people working on the ship. And no reason or opportunity for a postal worker to have in his possession an item from the Titanic's silver service, property of the White Star Line.

 

[Robert T. Paige]

This is probably a rather elementary question for the Titanic experts on these forums.
Did most ? - or all ? - of the Irish on Titanic come aboard Titanic at Queenstown ?
Were most ? - or all ? - traveling in Steerage or were there any Irish traveling in First or Second Class ?

 

[Bob Godfrey]

In 3rd Class I think there was just one Irish passenger who boarded at Southampton and another at Cherbourg. All the rest boarded at Queenstown.

There were around 7 Irish or Irish-American passengers in 2nd Class, all of whom boarded at Queenstown. And 5 irish or Irish-American in 1st Class, none of whom boarded at Queenstown but Thomas Andrews, of course, was on board all the way from Belfast.

Seven passengers - all 1st Class - left the ship at Queenstown. All had boarded at Southampton.

 

[M.A.S.]

Aww bummer. And it's hard to tell if that little flag is the red flag with the white star, since it's silver. Well, it's nice anyway. Maybe a little polish will show it more clearly? Anyway, take heart.