Titanic life jacket is being auctioned: Unique item is expected to fetch up to 400,000 euros

Devizes (UK) – The sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912 still captivates many people. Even 114 years after the tragedy, there are numerous legends and stories surrounding the ship disaster. Next weekend, a life jacket worn by a survivor will go under the hammer for the first time. Estimated price for the unique piece: between 290,000 and 400,000 euros (250,000 to 350,000 English pounds).

It is the only survivor’s life jacket ever offered at auction. The auctioneers of the English auction house “Henry Aldridge and Son” in Devizes (about 150 km west of London) describe the rare piece as a “unique opportunity for collectors”.

The bearer was Laura Mabel Francatelli

Die auction is taking place on Saturday in the English county of Wiltshire to mark the 114th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy. As auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told us BBC said the life jacket was an “incredibly iconic and moving object with an outstanding provenance”. He added that the rare find was the only survivor’s life jacket to appear at auction in 114 years.

The life jacket is rare because it is one of the few surviving original life jackets where the wearer can be identified. Worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli was the cream-colored waistcoat made by Fosbery & Co. The then 22-year-old was a first class passenger and used it before boarding Lifeboat No. 1, the auction house said in a description.

Titanic vest was displayed in the museum

Francatelli was one of around 700 people who witnessed the sinking of the Titanic survived. She traveled as secretary to the then fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon, who, along with her husband Sir Cosmo, had booked passage on the Titanic as part of a trip to Chicago.

According to information from Fox News and the Irish Times, the vest remained in her family for almost a century until it was acquired by a private collector about 20 years ago. It was then exhibited in the world’s largest Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge (US state of Tennessee) and most recently in the Titanic Museum Belfast (Northern Ireland).