Rare Titanic photos, letters auctioned off

Titanic survivors are seen in lifeboats on their way to the rescue ship Carpathia on April 15, 1912.

This rare image -- an original of the period -- as well as several others seen in this feature, went up for auction at New York's Philip Weiss Auctions. The entire collection sold for $100,570. Keep clicking for a look at these photos from the morning after the Titanic sunk.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions
"The Early Show"

John and Nelle Snyder, seen here in what's believed to be the clothes they were rescued in, honeymooned aboard the Titanic. This photo and others, and letters detailing the tragic sinking, were auctioned off on Long Island, New York, for $100,570.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An iceberg is seen in the distance from the deck of the Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors in the North Atlantic.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

A letter written on stationery from the Titanic.

Phil Weiss, Owner, Phil Weiss Auctions in Oceanside, N.Y., told "The Early Show," You don't see these kinds of things come to the market anymore (because) most of this material has been located, found, and accounted for."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An image of what appears to be a ship called the Californian, as seen from the deck of Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An image of what appears to be the Californian as seen from the deck of Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An image of the ocean from the deck of the Carpathia.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An image of what appears to be the Californian as seen from the deck of Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An image of the ocean from the deck of the Carpathia.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Handwritten_Letter_pg.1.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

The items up for auction include a letter dated April 24, from John Snyder to his father. He noted many decided to stay on the ship, thinking it might be safer than the lifeboats. Snyder writes that his new wife, Nelle, saved their lives. He writes, "She is the one that urged me to get up when I wanted to go back to bed. ... We were almost the very first people placed in the lifeboat."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Handwritten_Letter_pg.2.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

First-class passenger and survivor John Snyder writes in this portion of the letter that he put on his life belt "thinking it was only a precaution," and that very few people were on deck when they boarded the lifeboat -- and some people even stepped back to avoid getting in the boats in the early stages of the sinking.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Handwritten_Letter_pg.3.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

In this section of the letter, John Snyder writes, "When we had moved some distance away from the Titanic, we realized by looking at the bow seeing the different rows of port holes getting less and less ... that the finest boat in the world was doomed..."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Handwritten_Letter_pg.4.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

In this portion of the letter to his father about the night the Titanic sunk, John Snyder, a first-class passenger, writes that his new wife was wearing her entire winter wardrobe on the lifeboat -- "a sweater, her long steamer coat, mink furs, winter hat, high shoes, etc."

He ends the letter saying, "Home looks mighty good to me."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

An ice field at sea.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Titanic survivors seen in lifeboats on their way to the rescue ship Carpathia.

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Typed_Letter_pg.1.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

A typed letter dated April 18, 1912. It gives some insight from John and Nelle Snyder's relatives into how the story of the Titanic's sinking was being reported. The letter reads, "There is very severe criticism of the White Star Line as they evidently knew all day Monday that the boat had gone down and in the face of this, continued to send out statements that she was still afloat and even said that she was being towed, hoping to get her into shallow water."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions

Typed_Letter_pg.2.jpg — Philip Weiss Auctions

On page 2 of the same letter, Frank Snyder writes of his son and new daughter-in-law's ordeal, "The experience of those in the boats between the time that the ship struck and the time of rescue, about ten o'clock in the morning, must have been awful, exposed, as they were, to the bitter cold, with scant protection from the elements, however, this is insignificant compared with the fact that they are alive and well."

Rare Titanic photos up for auction
Philip Weiss Auctions
"The Early Show"