Titanic Life Jacket Fetches £670,000 at Auction

Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, auctioned the jacket, which was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger who survived the Titanic disaster in 1912. This is the first time a life jacket from the Titanic has been sold at auction in 114 years, marking a significant moment in maritime history. Francatelli, one of around 700 survivors, used the vest as she boarded a lifeboat.

Auctioneer’s Remarks on the Item’s Significance

Andrew Aldridge, the auctioneer, expressed his “ecstatic” reaction to the sale. He emphasized, “It reflects the enduring fascination with the Titanic’s story and its passengers.” The vest, he noted, was “the only lifejacket from a survivor to emerge at auction in 114 years,” making it a rare opportunity for collectors.

The jacket includes 12 pockets and is equipped with shoulder supports and side straps. It surpassed the estimated price range of £250,000 to £350,000, fetching hundreds of thousands more than anticipated. During the same auction, a lifeboat seat cushion sold for £390,000. The cushion was originally purchased by Richard William Smith, a London tea merchant who perished when the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic in 1912.

Smith, en route to meet TG Matthews in Brooklyn, New York, was among the 1,500 victims of the tragedy. His body was never identified, but the cushion he owned will now be displayed at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Tennessee and Missouri. The auction coincided with Southampton’s 114th anniversary tribute to the RMS Titanic disaster, held on 14 April.

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