Titanic life jacket worn by survivor sell for $1.2 million at auction, watch and cushion fetch high price
The only life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic has been sold at auction, fetching an enormous sum.
The only life jacket from the Titanic to ever be sold at auction has fetched an enormous sum, snapped up by a collector.
The jacket, which was worn by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, one of the ship’s 700 survivors, went to auction at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, on the weekend, fetching £670,000 ($1.264,290).
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told the BBC that he was “ecstatic” over the same, adding that the fascination with the fatal sinking is still strong.
“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,” he said.
“It reflects the ongoing interest and passion for the story of the Titanic, and its passengers and crew.”
First class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli wore the vest aboard lifeboat number one, and it is signed by eight fellow survivors, including firemen Charles Hendrickson and George Taylor, and able seaman James Horswill.
The Titanic sank in 1912 on its maiden cruise from Southampton to New York. After hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, the ship, carrying 2200 passengers and crew, sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The final bid astounded experts and the auction house, who had originally tipped that the life jacket could be sold for around £250,000.
The life-saving life vest wasn’t the only thing to be sold at Aldridge & Son in Devizes, with a cushion from one of the lifeboats also sold for £390,000. purchased by one of the owners of a Titanic museum in the US.
A watch recovered from the body of wealthy businessman who drowned in the sinking went for £180,000 at the same sale.
