Ok so it's not a drawing, but definitely one of my most prized items.
Nearly 100 years ago, the largest and most luxurious ship in the world struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This was to be the final voyage for Edward J. Smith, Captain of the Titanic- After reaching New York, he would return to England and retire.
Some people have blamed Capt. Smith for the sinking of Titanic- claiming he ignored ice warnings and was going to fast- some even claiming he was drinking. The blame does not lie with him, or with any one person- there are countless "what-ifs" -any one of which would have created a different outcome. Capt. Smith's decision to keep the water tight doors closed saved many lives- Had he opened them in order to let the ship sink evenly, it would have rolled and prevented the launching of many of the life boats.
This Happy New Year card was sent in about 1910 to "Maurice," a friend of his- perhaps a fellow ship's Captain. He signed his distinctive "E J Smith" at the bottom of the card. I get chills every time I think that about 100 years ago, this very card was in his hands- he touched it- read it- His eyes looked upon it just as mine do now.
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