Hubbard, Elbert. The Titanic. 1st printing. East Aurora, NY: Roycroft Shops. 1923. wraps. isbn: none. scarcity: very scarce.

This brief little work is the author’s paean to the first class passengers on the Titanic, many of whom Hubbard new personally. In his grief, it can perhaps be forgiven that he abandons all objectivity and lauds upon the passengers of the first cabin all the nobility, bravery and fortitude that the high and the mighty of the time thought they possessed.

Most of the many selfless actions Hubbard ascribes to these people are pure fiction. J.J. Astor stepping into the lifeboat just to encourage his wife to enter, then quickly stepping out again to make room for other women. William Stead, iron bar in hand, ready to defend the boats from the steerage passengers. Archie Butt drawing his revolver to do the same, but then putting it away because ‘they know we will save their women and children as quickly as our own.”

It is all so grand, all so glorious, and all so completely over the top! But in the hands of a masterful writer like Hubbard, it all works. You want to believe. You want it to have happened that way. One can only wonder what the author’s thoughts could have been, a mere two years later, when he found himself thrust into the same predicament on the quickly settling decks of another great ocean liner sinking rapidly. Hubbard’s was one of the many lives lost when the Lusitania was sunk by a German u-boat in 1914.

Note: The cover image shows the extremely scarce dust jacket (well, most of it anyway) that came with the book. The book itself is a brown suede leather, which can be seen at the bottom right hand corner of the image.

Hubbard, Elbert. The Titanic. reprint. Riverside, CT: 7 C’s Press. 1974. wraps. isbn: 0911962107. scarcity: scarce.

A modern reprint of Hubbard’s original work, with some added material. This new material apparently relating to Hubbard’s voyage on the Lusitania.

Hubbard, Elbert & selected by William Griffith. The Elbert Hubbard Book. Wise and Witty Writings Selected from the Works of Elbert Hubbard. Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing. 1934. hardcover. isbn: none. scarcity: common.

A series of essays Hubbard penned before his untimely death in the Lusitania disaster. The Titanic related item is called “Parable of a Survivor” in which Hubbard recounts the story of a man he met who was rescued by the Carpathia. This survivor, despite being offered several changes in accomodation on board, is never satisfied with his quarters. The Parable was apparently written contemporary to the time of the Titanic tragedy.

With thanks to Patty Miller for this one. Cover photo courtesy of Patty as well.