Titanic mania just hit a new height. One of the most famous scenes from the movie, the ship's musical conductor William Hartley and his band continuing to play ("Nearer, My God, to Thee" to be specific) even as the ship sank, actually happened in real life according to multiple survivor accounts.
When Hartley's body was pulled from the sea in 1912, the violin case was still strapped to his back and almost a full century later the instrument resurfaced in a random attic in Britain. It was authenticated and has since been auctioned, where it sold for an exorbitant amount of money as Titanic memorabilia tends to since James Cameron's film (an original menu once went for $100,000).
This buyer (name unreleased) however, must've been extremely touched by that scene because they topped the memorabilia price record, with a whopping $1.7 million down for Hartley's violin. We're picturing a mantle, adorned with a "Jack and Rose 4ever" collage and "My Heart Will Go On" on an endless loop.
[via CNN]
