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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Titanic construction plans sell for £20,000

Rare plans used to guide the construction of the famous Titanic ship have been sold at an auction for around £20,000.

The plans are a smaller version of the huge ones held at the Harland and Wolff drawing offices.

Auctioneer Justin Lowry said that it was amazing to have a "rare piece of history under the hammer".

Read more: Titanic and her Sisters: New book brings to life historic ship through pictures and artwork

The plans were sold at an auction run by On The Square Auctions on Tuesday night.

"These plans were made to be actually used on site and on board the Titanic during construction and fit out," he said.

"There is a very good chance that these plans have actually been on or in the Titanic at some point."

It was by chance that the drawings were discovered, in a box very much linked to the history of the famous ship.

They are a Gel-Lithograph copy of the original plans, which means they were more for everyday use and would have been carried around by workmen on site.

Justin Lowry from On the Square Auctions with the plans. (Paul Marshall Photography)

"They were found in an old Harland and Wolff tradesman’s box that was passed down to a descendent from Robert Falconer Keith, the man who launched the Titanic," Justin said.

"The box sat for many decades unopened and emerged during a clear-out.

"In amongst old tools was the Titanic plans, with the lovely patina from daily use by tradesmen.

"As a working navigation plan this has much more character than the standard plans."

The drawings would help those constructing the ship to make their way around it.

They were eventually sold at a total cost of £19,450, (£15,000 plus fees and tax), and will make their way to a new owner in Australia.

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