A life jacket worn by a survivor of the RMS Titanic has sold at auction for Sh116,981,986 (£670,000), underscoring continued global fascination with one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.
The flotation vest, used by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, was sold at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. Francatelli was among roughly 700 survivors of the 1912 tragedy and wore the life jacket before boarding a lifeboat.
It is believed to be the only Titanic life jacket from a survivor ever sold at auction in the 114 years since the sinking.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the final price far exceeded expectations, which were estimated at Sh43,649,995 (£250,000) to Sh61,109,993 (£350,000).
The vest carries historical significance and was signed by Francatelli and fellow survivors. It features 12 cork-filled pockets, shoulder rests and adjustable side straps.
According to NBC News, “A life jacket worn by a passenger on RMS Titanic as she escaped the sinking steamship on a lifeboat sold at auction on Saturday for 670,000 pounds ($906,000).”
The ship had been “billed as the world’s most luxurious ocean liner and described as ‘practically unsinkable,’” before it struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, killing around 1,500 people out of approximately 2,200 passengers and crew.
The Titanic “is still a subject of worldwide fascination, in part because of the range of passengers aboard the ship, from paupers to plutocrats.” Francatelli was travelling with her employer, fashion designer Lucy Duff Gordon, and her husband Cosmo Duff Gordon.
All three survived aboard Lifeboat No. 1, which left with just 12 people despite capacity for 40 and did not return for others in the freezing waters.
The disaster led to sweeping changes in maritime safety regulations and remains one of the deadliest peacetime maritime tragedies in history.
The same auction also saw a seat cushion from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats sell for Sh390,000 (£—). It is set to be displayed at the Titanic Museum Attraction.
The sales come as commemorations mark 114 years since the disaster.
The record for Titanic memorabilia remains £1.56 million, paid in 2024 for a gold pocket watch gifted to the captain of RMS Carpathia, the vessel that rescued hundreds from the icy Atlantic.
The Titanic was built by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line and, at the time, was the largest and most luxurious ship ever constructed. It set sail from Southampton on April 10, 1912, bound for New York City with more than 2,200 passengers and crew.
Four days into its maiden voyage, it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
The damage was catastrophic, and the ship sank in the early hours of April 15. More than 1,500 people died, largely due to a shortage of lifeboats, while about 700 survivors were rescued by RMS Carpathia.