Life Jacket Belonging to Titanic Survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli Fetches $904,500 at Auction

Published April 21, 2026

A life jacket worn by Titanic survivor Laura Mabel Francatelli was sold for $904,500 at an auction held by Henry Aldridge and Son in Wiltshire, U.K., significantly exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $339,000 to $474,000.

This cork-filled life jacket, used by the first-class passenger, includes 12 pockets and is signed by Francatelli along with other survivors. It had been on display at the Titanic Belfast museum, located near where the ship was originally built. This piece is notable as the only survivor’s life jacket ever to have been auctioned.

Andrew Aldridge, managing director of the auction house, described the sale as "a once in a generation opportunity for collectors" and regarded the jacket as "one of the most iconic Titanic artifacts ever offered for auction."

Out of the 2,200 people aboard the Titanic when it collided with an iceberg off the coast of Canada 114 years ago, only 700 survived. Aldridge remarked that every passenger carried a unique story, which collectively form over 2,200 chapters of history that are preserved through various memorabilia.