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4mo ago

Titanic Survivor’s Signed Life Jacket Heads to Auction With £250,000–£350,000 Estimate

Auctioneers call it a once-in-a-generation chance for collectors.

A life jacket worn aboard the Titanic.
FILE: A life preserver from the doomed ship Titanic, worn by surviving passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, is sold at a Christie's auction for a £50,000 hammer price in South Kensington, London, UK, Wednesday, May 16, 2007.

Overview

  • Henry Aldridge & Son in the U.K. is offering the life jacket in a Titanic and White Star Line sale, with bidding expected to reach £250,000 to £350,000.
  • The auction house says it is the only known life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor ever to come to market.
  • The vest was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, who survived after leaving the ship in Lifeboat No. 1 with Lucy and Cosmo Duff Gordon.
  • The beige jacket remains well preserved and bears signatures from Francatelli and fellow survivors, with 12 cork-stuffed canvas pockets, shoulder rests, and side straps.
  • The piece has been displayed at Titanic Belfast and at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, and the current owner is consigning it to pass it to another collector.