Titanic Survivor's Life Jacket to Be Auctioned April 18 with Estimated Value of $339,000 to $475,000
A life jacket worn by Titanic survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli during the 1912 sinking is scheduled for auction on April 18. The item, signed by eight survivors from Lifeboat No. 1, is expected to sell for $339,000 to $475,000. It is the only such life jacket ever offered at auction.
nypost.com# Titanic Survivor's Life Jacket Heads to Auction A rare life jacket worn by Titanic survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli is set to be auctioned on April 18. The life jacket, used by the first-class passenger during the ship's sinking in 1912, is expected to sell for roughly $339,000 to $475,000, Cover Media reported. The auction is conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son.
The cream-colored life jacket is made of canvas with cork-filled sections. It has been displayed at museums in the United States and Europe. The item remained in Francatelli's family for decades before being acquired by a private collector about 20 years ago.
Background of the Survivor and the Sinking Francatelli was 22 years old at the time of the Titanic sinking in 1912.
She boarded the Titanic in France as a secretary to fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon and her husband Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon. After the ship struck an iceberg just before midnight on April 14, 1912, Francatelli boarded Lifeboat No. 1.
Lifeboat No. 1 had a capacity of about 40 people but was launched with only 12 people on board. Francatelli signed the life jacket along with seven other survivors from Lifeboat No. 1. The survivors were picked up by the RMS Carpathia, which arrived hours after the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.
The RMS Carpathia rescued more than 700 passengers. The life jacket is one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence, Cover Media reported. It is the only one ever offered at auction.
Francatelli's Life After the Disaster In 1913, Francatelli married Swiss-born hotel manager Maximilian Haering.
Francatelli and Haering moved to New York, where they worked in the hospitality industry and operated hotels together. She returned to the United Kingdom after her husband's death and died in 1967. There are only a handful of life jackets worn by Titanic survivors which still exist today, Andrew Aldridge stated.
Most existing Titanic survivor life jackets are held in museums, Andrew Aldridge stated.
Story Timeline
6 events- 2026-04-18
Auction of Laura Mabel Francatelli's Titanic life jacket scheduled.
1 sourcenypost.com - 2006
Life jacket acquired by private collector, approximately 20 years ago from current date.
1 sourcenypost.com - 1967
Laura Mabel Francatelli died.
1 sourcenypost.com - 1913
Francatelli married Maximilian Haering.
1 sourcenypost.com - 1912-04-15
Titanic sank; RMS Carpathia arrived hours later to rescue survivors including those from Lifeboat No. 1.
1 sourcenypost.com - 1912-04-14
Titanic struck iceberg just before midnight; Francatelli boarded Lifeboat No. 1.
1 sourcenypost.com
Potential Impact
- 01
Sale proceeds to private collector, with no specified public benefit or museum acquisition.
- 02
Increased interest in Titanic memorabilia auctions, given rarity of survivor-worn items.
- 03
Preservation of artifact outside family for over 20 years, continuing its exhibition history.
- 04
Potential addition to private collection of Titanic artifacts, removing it from museum display.
- 05
Highlight of Francatelli's story in historical narratives, as one of few first-class survivors on underfilled lifeboat.
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