A Titanic survivor’s life jacket, which helped her escape the sinking steamer, has been auctioned for $906,000 on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
According to Associated Press, the life jacket was worn by a first class female passenger named Laura Mabel Francatelli on the vessel which sank during its very first voyage.
Other Titanic memorabilia was also sold by Henry Aldridge & Sons auctioneers in Devizes, western England; however, neither item received as much attention as the flotation device. Several items were sold for around $500,000.
Owners of two Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri bought a seat cushion for one of the Titanic lifeboats for a whopping $527,000.
After the auction, auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “These record prices illustrate the continued interest in the Titanic story and the respect for the passengers and crew whose stories are immortalized by this memorabilia.”
Titanic was one of the most luxurious ocean liners built to such a high standard that it was marketed as “practically unsinkable”. However, the vessel struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage on 15 April 1912 and sank within hours.
About 1,500 out of the approximately 2,200 passengers died in the tragic incident.
