A rare collection from the Titanic was auctioned, with a first-class survivor's "life jacket" fetching over $900,000, equivalent to more than 28 million baht. Other items also attracted overwhelming interest, highlighting enduring fascination with this historic event even over a century later.
The Henry Aldridge & Son auction house in Devizes, western England, held an auction of RMS Titanic memorabilia. The highlight was the life jacket of first-class passenger Miss Laura Mabel Francatelli, a survivor, which sold for £670,000 (about $906,000 or approximately 28.94 million baht) to an anonymous telephone bidder.
This cream-colored life jacket, made from canvas stuffed with cork, is especially notable because it bears the signatures of Francatelli and other survivors who escaped in the same lifeboat. Andrew Aldridge, the auctioneer, noted that only a few life jackets worn by actual survivors exist today, most of which are preserved in museums, making such items very rare on the market.
In addition to the life jacket, a "seat cushion" from a Titanic lifeboat was auctioned for £390,000 (about 18.4 million baht). The winning bidder was the owner of Titanic museums in Tennessee and Missouri, USA. These prices include buyer's premiums.
Andrew Aldridge said, "This auction price reflects ongoing interest in the Titanic story as well as respect for the passengers and crew whose stories have been immortalized through these artifacts."
The Titanic, once dubbed the "unsinkable" ship, struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland during its maiden voyage from England to New York and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in over 1,500 deaths out of approximately 2,200 aboard.
Miss Francatelli traveled with her employer, famed fashion designer Lucy Duff Gordon, and Lucy's husband, Cosmo Duff Gordon. All three survived aboard "Lifeboat 1," which later became controversial because it was launched with only 12 passengers despite a capacity of 40 and did not return to rescue others struggling in the freezing water.
The highest auction record for Titanic memorabilia remains the gold pocket watch sold in 2025 for over $2 million (about 64 million baht). This watch belonged to Isidor Straus, the wealthy Macy’s owner, who famously gave up his lifeboat seat so younger passengers could escape, becoming one of the Titanic's legendary stories of sacrifice.