03. Wallace Hartley Violin

Wallace Hartley was a violinist and one of the bandsmen onboard the Titanic, responsible for bringing joy through music to the passengers.

From the moment they discovered the Titanic was submerging, the musicians bravely kept playing to distract and calm everyone on board. Although they never received orders to do so and could have left the ship with everyone else, the eight musicians played their last, heartfelt concert.

Wallace’s violin was a gift from his fiancée, Maria Robinson, and it had the words ‘For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement from Maria’ engraved on its back. This violin bears the courage of these musicians and was found alongside Wallace’s body two weeks after the sinking.

The violin is now on display at the Titanic Belfast alongside two letters he received while on board of the Titanic: one from his fiancée and another from a fellow musician friend.