Fosbery Lifebelt Ink Markings (1912)
Fosbery Lifebelt Ink Markings (1912)
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The Front and Fosbery stamps were recreated from markings on Ken Marschall’s “half‑belt,” while the Inside Back and Warranted to Pass stamps were derived from photographs of the Francatelli lifebelt. Fosbery & Co. produced approximately 3,500 lifebelts for the Titanic, and noticeable variations in the ink markings appear across surviving examples. These differences likely resulted from the use of multiple stamp sets and the replacement of worn stamps over time.
Original stamps (top) and replica stamps (bottom)
Original stamps (top) and replica stamps (bottom)
Example of Faded Ink Stamps
Example of Faded Ink Stamps
Some original Titanic lifebelts show little to no ink markings, either because they were never stamped or because the ink has faded over time. Below is an example of how these markings can appear after more than a century.
Titanic Lifebelt Worn by Madeleine Astor
Photograph by Günter Bäbler, 1992
Photograph taken in 2023
Additional Examples of Lifebelts with Ink Stamps
Additional Examples of Lifebelts with Ink Stamps
Lifebelt Worn by Mabel Francatelli
Sold at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers for £530,000 (716,772.01 USD) at auction
A Carpathia passenger, Dr. Frank Blackmarr collected this lifebelt while aiding Titanic passengers.
Collection of the National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.
Fosbery Half‑Lifebelt
Ken Marschall Collection,
Branson, Missouri
Lifebelt Worn by Cosmo Duff‑Gordon (Presumed), Lifeboat No. 1
Private Collection, United Kingdom
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