Letter Sarah Roth

[Hanco Bol]

Hi,

I have a small telegraphic letter of Sarah Roth, dated April 11th, 1912. Does anyone might have an idea if this letter is genuine?

THE LETTER READS;

DATED 11th APRIL 1912

DEAREST MOTHER
JUST A FEW WORDS TO SAY THAT EMILY AND I ARE BOTH ENJOYING OUR TRIP SO FAR.
I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO KNOW HOW DANIEL HAS PLANNED OUR WEDDING ARRANGMENTS.
DANIEL HAS SAID WE WILL HAVE SO MUCH FUN IN NEW YORK CITY AS THERE ARE SO MANY NEW AND EXCITING THINGS
TO DO AND SEE IN NEW YORK.
I HOPE THAT EVERYONE AT HOME IS GOOD AND WELL,I WILL WRITE AGAIN ONCE WE ARRIVE IN NEW YORK.
MY LOVE ALWAYS
SARAH

Thank in advance for for your help.

Hanco

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I don't know if the letter is genuine but Sarah Roth was on board. See https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/sarah-roth.html

 

[Hanco Bol]

Thank you Michael for the link with this information.

I am quite interested to know if this message could have been send from the Titanic on April 11, 1912? And according to an expert the notepaper is wrong, but I have my doubts about it. YAMSI was the telegraphic code for the Liverpool office.

Hanco

hanco

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

There is something which looks strange for me.

However, I am wondering why is it not written on a "On Board Titanic" paper? And if I remember right a person from UK would write April 11th, 1912 and not 11th April 1912. (I could be mistaken.)
Possibly there is someone else who knows it better.

 

[Rocky Whiteside]

Something about the handwriting seems to modern to me; the ink looks to consistent and the hand doesn't really have that 'old fashioned' look you usually see with older letters.

 

[Hanco Bol]

Hi Ioannis and Rocky,

Thank you for your interested thoughts. This gives me a new view on it as well.

I have some doubts about it, because:
1. Why use this type of stationary on The Titanic which I have never seen before
2. The ink indeed looks consistent and not old-fashioned, although on other letters the same type of style could be seen
3. Sarah met Emily on the Titanic for the first time (as mentioned on the internet). Will I tell my mother after knowing here for one day that we are enjoying your trip so far?

At the other hand:
1. On the back a piece of carton is glued with text and a image of the "merchant of Venice by Shakespeare looking like to be dated round 1905
2. 11th April 1912 instead of April 11th was written on other Titanic related letters as well
3. If I should make a fake letter why not mention Titanic in it make it more popular?
4. Why making one fake letter? More interested to make 1,000 Daily Mirrors dated April 12 1912 as you see on the internet.

I hope somebody could give any additional information about it.

I will show the letter to my book restorer when he is back from his holiday to find out if the paper and ink is genuine. Next to it I have contacted other experts to give their ideas and also try to contact the family of late Sarah Roth who sold the 3rd class menu with possible handwriting of Sarah on the back if it's looks the same.

Hanco

 

[Rocky Whiteside]

Well, if Sarah is from the United Kingdom, 11th April would be correct.

 

[Hanco Bol]

Just spoke with the family of Sarah in the US.
They will scan images and of her handwriting and send them to compare it with the letter.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Rocky, either way would be correct. Here in the UK it's only when we write a date in figures that we always put the day first (ie: 11.4.1912)

 

[Rocky Whiteside]

Mhmm, okay. Thanks Bob, I was mistaken.

 

[Andy Jackson]

Bit late to mention possibly, but the only thing that would concern me is where the fold in the letter is. The writing there isnt faded or have a discolouring the same as the fold

Andy

 

[Hanco Bol]

Hi Andy,

No problem and thank you for your input. Good notice based on the picture shown. My book restorer also noticed this point seeing the letter personally.

In the meanwhile I bough some reproduction letters on Ebay which looks really the same as this letter. Paypal already gave a refund for this claim, after the seller was no longer a registered Ebayer as well.

Be careful in the future for these reproductions. This one was a real professional fake.