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Relics from the Titanic expected to sell for up to £60,000

Credit: PA Images

Previously unseen photos of the Titanic leaving Southampton are being sold at an auction in Devizes, Wiltshire.

The photos were sent from Southampton to Mr F Le Boulanger, a wealthy ship owner, who lived in Mumbles, South Wales.

The photographs are estimated to sell for between £8,000 and £12,000.

As Mr Boulanger was a coal exporter in South Wales and as these photos were sent to him, it is quite possible he may have been involved in the provision of coal to the ship.

Since the recipient of the photos was important in the ship industry, the photos may have been taken by one of his associates.

They represent a rare opportunity for a collector to acquire a pair of photos showing the very start of Titanic's ill-fated first and last voyage.

– Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge & Son
Credit: PA Images

Another item being sold on Saturday is a set of rusty keys for a locker on the Titanic that belonged to a cabin steward who survived the disaster.

The keys are expected to sell for up to £60,000 when they go up for auction on Saturday.

They belonged to Sidney Daniels, an 18-year-old third class steward who was the last surviving crew member of the Titanic.

The keys were for lockers on the ship and were for F Deck where third-class passengers resided.

Each key has a matching brass tag stamped locker 41 F Deck and locker 42 F Deck on a single ring and were in Mr Daniels's pocket when the ship hit an iceberg and sank in April 1912.

Credit: PA Images

These keys are exceptional as they are the only known examples belonging to concurrent lockers.

Mr Daniels later returned home aboard the Lapland and the keys were in his pocket during his escape and subsequent rescue.

When war broke out in 1914, he served with the Royal Army Service Corps. He passed away in 1983 aged 89.

– Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge & Son

A third piece of memorabilia for sale is an original clapperboard from James Cameron's multi-Oscar winning movie Titanic.

Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet in a scene from the film Titanic Credit: dpa-Film 20th century fox/DPA/PA Images

Since clapperboards can be repurposed for other scenes and films they do not typically come to market.

This one was gifted to a film student on the set. We are aware of another clapperboard from the film in a museum.

– Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge & Son
Credit: PA Images

The 11in by 9in clapperboard is estimated to sell for between £3,000 and £5,000.

The Titanic sale takes place on Saturday at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire.