A life vest worn by Titanic passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli during the ship’s sinking was auctioned for $906,000, significantly above its pre-sale estimate of £250,000 to £350,000. The vest, made of canvas and cork, features signatures from other survivors in the same lifeboat. The auction, held by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, England, also included Titanic lifeboat seat cushions, which sold for $527,000 to owners of Titanic museums in Tennessee and Missouri.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge noted the rarity of surviving life jackets and emphasized the ongoing interest in Titanic memorabilia. The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg, resulting in approximately 1,500 deaths. Francatelli survived with her employer, fashion designer Lucy Duff Gordon, and her husband in a lifeboat that carried only 12 out of a possible 40 people.
Additionally, record prices were recently paid for other Titanic-related items, including a gold pocket watch that belonged to Isidore Strauss, a first-class passenger and co-owner of Macy’s, which sold for over $2 million. The Strauss couple famously chose to give up their lifeboat seats to others, highlighting their selflessness.
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