Titanic Life Jacket Fetches Record Sum at Auction

A life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic disaster has been sold for a remarkable £670,000 at auction. The vest belonged to Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger who was aboard lifeboat number one. It is signed by eight fellow survivors.

The auction also saw a pocket watch recovered from the body of wealthy businessman Frederick Sutton, who perished in the sinking, sell for £180,000. Additionally, a seat cushion from a Titanic lifeboat, featuring an original White Star burgee plaque, fetched £390,000 and is destined for exhibition.

These record-breaking prices underscore the continued strong interest in the Titanic story, its passengers, and crew. The lifejacket, expected to fetch up to £350,000, is a rare identifiable artifact. Francatelli was secretary to fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon and was accompanied by Lady Lucy's husband. Controversy later surrounded the occupants of their lifeboat for not returning to rescue others.

Frederick Sutton's watch, described as heavily dented with a face bearing the scars of the sinking, was from his body recovered at sea. His effects were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The seat cushion was purchased by a friend of a tea importer who drowned, bought out of grief and was recovered from one of the lifeboats that reached the rescue ship Carpathia.