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Titanic survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli’s signed life jacket, the only such vest ever auctioned, is going up for sale in auction. Its price will baffle you.
The vest was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger aboard the doomed RMS Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage in April 1912.
A life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic is going up for auction in what experts are calling a “once in a generation” sale, with bids expected to reach as much as £350,000 ($474,000). The rare artifact, described as the only known life jacket from a Titanic survivor ever to be offered at auction, will be sold by Henry Aldridge & Son as part of a wider sale of Titanic and White Star Line memorabilia.
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The vest was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger aboard the doomed RMS Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage in April 1912. When Titanic departed Southampton on April 10, 1912, it was the largest passenger ship in the world and widely believed to be unsinkable. Just four days later, it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic late on April 14 and sank in under three hours. Of the roughly 2,220 passengers and crew on board, only around 700 survived.
Francatelli had been traveling with famed fashion designer Lucy Duff Gordon and her husband Cosmo Duff Gordon. All three escaped aboard Lifeboat No. 1. The beige cork-filled life vest remains remarkably preserved and bears signatures from Francatelli and fellow survivors rescued in the same boat. Auctioneers said it features 12 cork-stuffed canvas pockets, shoulder rests and side straps.
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Andrew Aldridge, managing director of the auction house, called the item “one of the most iconic” pieces ever to come to market from the Titanic. He said, “Quite simply, this lifejacket presents a once in a generation opportunity for collectors. It’s the only example to ever be offered for auction from a Titanic survivor.”
The jacket has previously been displayed at Titanic Belfast and at the Titanic Museum Attraction.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
April 16, 2026, 11:27 pm IST
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