A life jacket worn by a survivor of the historic liner Titanic has sold for an astonishing £670,000 at auction. The jacket was worn by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli while in lifeboat number one.
It is signed by eight other survivors, including fireman Charles Hendrickson, George Taylor, and able seaman James Horsall.
Additionally, a watch belonging to a wealthy merchant who perished in the sinking sold for £180,000, while a lifeboat seat cushion featuring the original White Star turret plate fetched £390,000. The cushion was purchased by the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, where it will be put on display.
The auction, conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, featured 344 items, including buyer’s premiums. Among these, 15 items were directly related to the Titanic, while the remainder provided broader historical context. The life jacket was accompanied by a newspaper photograph showing the survivors of lifeboat number one after the ship sank in April 1912, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 1,500 people.
