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an old postcard with a lot of stamps on ita picture of a postcard with a picture of a tall building
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374 - Laura MABEL FRANCATELLI (1881–1967), secretary to Lucy Chris…
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Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Sale commission
Description
Laura MABEL FRANCATELLI (1881–1967), secretary to Lucy Christina DUFF GORDON (1863–1935) Signed autograph postcard: “Lady Duff Gordon sends her warmest thanks for your kind postcard. She is now doing very well, following that horrible experience of the Titanic’s sinking.” Postcard from the Times Building in New York, autographed and addressed to “Mr and Mrs Vivier des Vallons / Caretakers of Trianon / Versailles / Seine-et-Oise / France” Sent from New York on 5 May 1912 and received in Paris on 14 May 1912 9 x 13.5 cm In very good condition Bibliography: This postcard was written by her private secretary, an indirect yet close witness to the events surrounding the disaster of 15 April 1912. This contemporary account is of particular historical interest in that it comes from the immediate circle of Lady Duff Gordon, a figure at the centre of the controversies and narratives that followed the tragedy. Documents relating to first-class survivors and their close circle remain highly sought after for the insight they provide into the human and media consequences of one of the most famous shipwrecks in maritime history. Laura Mabel Francatelli (1880–1967) was the secretary and close associate of the famous British dressmaker Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon. She embarked at Cherbourg aboard the RMS Titanic in April 1912 alongside Lady Duff-Gordon and her husband, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon. A first-class passenger, she occupied cabin E-36 and survived the sinking by taking a place in lifeboat No. 1, one of the most controversial of the disaster due to its small number of occupants. Her testimony, recorded shortly after the disaster during the official inquiries, constitutes one of the most valuable contemporary sources on the ship’s final hours and on the events surrounding the evacuation of first-class passengers. Laura Francatelli’s autograph documents relating to the Titanic are particularly sought after, both for their rarity and because they come directly from a privileged witness to one of the greatest maritime tragedies of the 20th century. She died in London, England, on 2 June 1967. Lucy Christina Duff Gordon (13 June 1863 – 20 April 1935), née Lucy Christina Suntherland, was a British fashion designer and member of the nobility. She began her career to support herself following an unhappy first marriage and a divorce. In the fashion world, she adopted the name Lucile and quickly built an international reputation. In 1900, she married Baronet Cosmo Edmund Duff Gordon, who was also a champion sportsman. In 1912, the couple were aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg and sank. Lucile, a prominent fashion designer, and her husband Cosmo Duff-Gordon were aristocrats who fled to safety on the Titanic’s Lifeboat No. 1, which was occupied by only a dozen people despite having a capacity of forty. The wealthy couple quickly became a popular subject in the tabloids, with allegations that Cosmo had bribed the crew to row away more quickly, rather than returning to rescue others; the press eventually dubbed it the ‘Money Boat’. As the only passengers to attend the inquiry hearings, it was found that the Duff-Gordons had not dissuaded the crew from attempting a rescue, but that the lifeboat could have saved more people had it turned back. Lady Duff-Gordon later said that her husband remained heartbroken by the negative media coverage until the end of his life. In James Cameron’s 1997 film *Titanic*, Lady Duff-Gordon is played by Rosalind Ayres, and Cosmo Duff-Gordon by Martin Jarvis. In the second *Titanic* film, released in 2012, Lady Duff-Gordon is played by Sylvestra Le Touzel and Cosmo Duff-Gordon by Simon Day.
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About the sale "PRESTIGE EXPERIENCE" – Great back-to-school sale
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Auction time 09/26/2026 at 2:00 PM
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