Titanic survivor’s life jacket breaks auction records, sold at THIS price

A life jacket worn by a passenger aboard the RMS Titanic during its sinking has been sold at auction on Saturday for 670,000 pounds (around Rs 8.39 crore). The item belonged to Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger who escaped in a lifeboat, and bears signatures from her and fellow survivors.

The piece was the highlight of a Titanic memorabilia auction conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, England, fetching a price far above its estimated range of 250,000–350,000 pounds. An anonymous bidder purchased it over the phone.

In the same sale, a lifeboat seat cushion from the Titanic was sold for £390,000 to owners of Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri. The final prices included the auction house’s buyer’s premium.

"These record-breaking prices illustrate the continuing interest in the Titanic story, and the respect for the passengers and crew whose stories are immortalised by these items of memorabilia," auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said.

Deaths of around 1,500 of the 2,200 people

Touted as the world’s most luxurious ocean liner and widely believed to be “practically unsinkable,” the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg near Newfoundland during its maiden voyage from England to New York. The ship sank within hours on April 15, 1912, resulting in the deaths of around 1,500 of the 2,200 people on board. The disaster continues to captivate global attention, partly due to the diverse mix of passengers, ranging from the poor to the wealthy elite.

Laura Mabel 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 carried only 12 people despite having space for 40. The lifeboat later drew widespread criticism for not returning to rescue others from the freezing waters.

The highest price ever paid for Titanic memorabilia remains 1.56 million pounds, recorded in 2024 for a gold pocket watch gifted to the captain of the RMS Carpathia, the vessel that saved around 700 survivors of the tragedy.