A silver tray recovered from the Hindenburg crash site has sold for ?�7,700 ($11,812).
The lot was one of a pair of items from the disaster offered at Henry Aldridge Auctioneers on October 24.
 The silver tray shows heat damage from the explosion |
The other, a silver pitcher, made ?�5,500 ($8,437).
Both artefacts were recovered by New Jersey fire chief Leroy Smith, who was among the first on the scene.
He buried them close to the site and returned for them later. He also salvaged six bottles of beer, which he reportedly drank with his crew.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told the Belfast Telegraph: "They are truly fascinating items from one of the 20th Century's defining events.
"The Hindenburg, the largest aircraft ever flown measuring over 800ft, was destroyed in a little over 90 seconds.
"The two items both bear witness to the immense destructive power of the fire.
"Despite showing obvious signs of exposure to extremely high temperatures, which include metal which had melted onto the face of the tray, there was a lot of interest on the auction floor.
"The prices which were paid prove the eternal fascination with such an historic event."
The sale also included a wealth of items related to the Titanic, including a silver loving cup presented to the captain of rescue ship The Endurance by survivor Molly Brown.
We have a broad selection of memorabilia for sale in our online store.
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