Titanic Survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli’s Life Jacket Sells for £670,000 in Devizes

A life jacket worn by Titanic survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli sold for £670,000 at auction in Devizes, England, far exceeding its estimated value, according to multiple reports.

“Titanic life jacket sells for £670,000 at auction A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor has been sold at auction to a collector for £670,000”

BBC

The flotation device—described as a cream-colored vest made of canvas with cork-filled sections—was worn by Francatelli, a first-class passenger who escaped in lifeboat No. 1 during the 1912 sinking.

BBC

The auction was held by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, and it was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder, with the final price also reported as $906,000 in some accounts.

The presale estimate ranged from £250,000 to £350,000, but the final hammer price went well beyond that range, with one report noting it sold for 670,000 pounds, or roughly $906,000, including fees.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the sale reflected public interest, telling the Press Association, “I think these record-breaking prices reflect the ongoing interest in not only the Titanic story, but also her passengers and crew.”

Another report quoted Aldridge saying, “These record-breaking prices illustrate the continuing interest in the Titanic story, and the respect for the passengers and crew whose stories are immortalized by these items of memorabilia.”

The BBC reported that Aldridge was “ecstatic” and added that it was “the only lifejacket from a survivor to emerge at auction in 114 years so it is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity for collectors.”

The life jacket’s provenance is tied to Francatelli’s place in the Titanic’s lifeboat system and her connections to fashion.

Fox News reported that Francatelli was a first-class passenger who used the flotation device during the ship’s 1912 sinking and that it was the only one of its kind ever offered at auction.

CBS News

The jacket was used as she boarded Lifeboat No. 1 with 11 others after the Titanic struck an iceberg just before midnight on April 14, 1912, off Newfoundland during its maiden voyage from England to New York.

Fox News also said Francatelli was “then 22” and had boarded the Titanic in France while working as a secretary to fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon and her husband, Cosmo Duff Gordon.

Several accounts described the jacket’s construction, including that it was made by Fosbery & Co and comprised “12 cork-filled pockets of canvas with shoulder rests and side straps.”

The BBC said the jacket has “12 pockets and is fitted with shoulder rests and side straps,” while the Times of India described it as “signed by Francatelli and other survivors from the same lifeboat.”

Rayo and the Independent both said the vest included signatures of eight fellow survivors, naming firemen Charles Hendrickson and George Taylor and able seaman James Horswill.

The life jacket was the headline item in a broader sale of Titanic memorabilia at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, with other artifacts also drawing high bids.

“A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor sold for more than $900,000 at auction Saturday, far exceeding expectations and highlighting the enduring fascination with the doomed ship”

Fox News

Fox News reported that a seat cushion from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats fetched about $527,000, purchased by the owners of Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

The Times of India said another item from the same auction, a seat cushion from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, was sold for £390,000 and was purchased by the owners of Titanic museums in the United States.

CBS News reported that a seat cushion from one of the Titanic lifeboats sold at the same auction for $527,000 to the owners of two Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

Rayo added more detail about the auction itself, saying the Saturday auction at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, included 344 lots and that the final sale prices include the buyer’s premium.

Rayo also reported that a watch recovered from the body of a wealthy businessman who drowned went for £180,000 at the same sale, and the Independent similarly said an 18-carat gold pocket watch belonging to drowned first-class passenger Frederick Sutton, 61, fetched £180,000.

The BBC described the cushion’s buyer as the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, and said the seat is to go on exhibition.

Multiple reports described the life jacket’s physical features and the way it was signed by survivors.

The Times of India said the flotation device is signed by Francatelli and other survivors from the same lifeboat and that it features “canvas material with cork-filled pockets, along with shoulder supports and straps.”

Houston Public Media

Fox News similarly described the jacket as “cream-colored” and made of canvas with cork-filled sections, and it said Francatelli and seven other survivors from the same lifeboat later signed the item.

Rayo said the life jacket lot included a newspaper photograph of the lifeboat number one group who survived after the liner sank in April 1912, costing 1,500 lives, and it also said the safety vest was made by Fosbery & Co.

The BBC reported that the jacket sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds more than expected and that it was estimated to sell for between £250,000 and £350,000, while also stating that Francatelli and fellow survivors had signed the flotation device.

The Independent and London Evening Standard both said the vest included signatures of eight fellow survivors, naming firemen Charles Hendrickson and George Taylor, and London Evening Standard added able seaman James Horswill.

London Evening Standard also said the life jacket was expected to fetch up to £350,000 and called it “one of few remaining original life jackets where the person who wore it is identifiable.”

Auctioneers and outlets framed the sale as evidence of continuing public fascination with the Titanic story, with Andrew Aldridge repeatedly linking the prices to enduring interest.

“A life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic disaster has sold for £670,000 at auction”

London Evening Standard

The Times of India said Aldridge told reporters that the strong sale reflected continued public interest in the Titanic story, quoting him: “These record-breaking prices illustrate the continuing interest in the Titanic story, and the respect for the passengers and crew,” and it added that the record-breaking prices illustrated respect for the passengers and crew.

London Evening Standard

Fox News echoed that framing by quoting Aldridge: “These record-breaking prices illustrate the continuing interest in the Titanic story, and the respect for the passengers and crew whose stories are immortalized by these items of memorabilia.”

The BBC reported that Aldridge said it “reflects the ongoing interest and passion for the story of the Titanic, and its passengers and crew,” and it also quoted him saying the vest was “the only lifejacket from a survivor to emerge at auction in 114 years.”

Rayo similarly quoted Aldridge telling the Press Association, “I think these record-breaking prices reflect the ongoing interest in not only the Titanic story, but also her passengers and crew.”

The BBC also connected the auction to the anniversary context, saying the auction comes as Southampton marked the 114th anniversary of the RMS Titanic tragedy at a memorial on 14 April.

Fox News added that the auction took place 114 years after the Carpathia arrived in New York with Titanic survivors on April 18, 1912.