The Titanic's last violin discovered after a century

It's disputed that the Titanic's band played "Nearer My God To Thee" in the doomed ship's last moments.  What's undisputed is that band leader Wallace Hartley and his fellow musicians stayed at their post, playing music to ease the terror of the passengers.  Hartley and all the band perished to a man.

Now, his violin has been identified, having survived the ship wreck:

The instrument used by Wallace Hartley was thought by some to have been lost in the Atlantic in the 1912 disaster.

But in 2006 the son of an amateur musician found it in an attic, complete with a silver plate showing its provenance.

...

Their research found that Hartley appeared to have strapped around him his leather valise – luggage case – in which he placed his violin moments before the sinking.

One theory is the bag would have aided his buoyancy in the water. The case and Hartley’s body were recovered together.

I find this to be very poignant.  Sacrifice hallows what it touches.

(via)