Mirror Said to be Haunted by Captain of the Titanic to go to Auction in December

The mirror in which Captain Edward John Smith is said to sometimes appear. (Image credit: Caters News Agency)

A mirror said to be haunted by the captain of one of history’s most famous shipwrecks is slated to go to auction next month.

The mirror, formerly owned by Captain Edward John Smith, was given to a servant named Ethelwynne in lieu of wages following the tragic sinking of the Titanic on April 14th, 1912.

Descendants of Ethelwynne kept it in their possession for generations until it was discovered in a deceased estate in Wolverhampton, England; after which it came into the possession of current owner David Smith, who has held the mirror for the past five years.

The mirror, like many objects attached to the Titanic, has a reputation for being haunted.

According to a letter written by the servant’s sister-in-law Hilda, “[Ethelwynne] always spooked me when she said that at times she could still see Captain Smith's face in it on the anniversary of when the Titanic was sunk.”

The reputedly haunted mirror is expected to fetch close to $13,000 when it goes to auction in December, and will include Hilda's handwritten letter and a note explaining the item's history.

“The last time Captain Edward John Smith saw his own noble, bearded visage before leaving home to take the helm of the Titanic was possibly in this very mirror," said auctioneer Richard Winterton.

“Even with one’s feet firmly on land and in the sunshine of a clear afternoon, there is something otherworldly about seeing your own reflection in such an object,” he said of the mirror.

“Captain Smith must have surveyed his own image in this mirror countless times,” added the auctioneer. “And the legend that his face can still be seen in it on each anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking is as compelling as it is chilling!"

Whoever buys the mirror “will have it in good time to test that legend for themselves on the 107th anniversary next April," promised Winterton.