Millionaire Who Fell “Like a Gentleman” from Titanic

We will tell you the strange and heartbreaking story of Benjamin Guggenheim, an American millionaire who died during the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. After the Titanic hit the iceberg, Guggenheim and his butler, Victor Giglio, never panicked. The duo left the boat deck as people struggled to get into the lifeboats. Not to worry, they returned to their cabins quietly and peacefully and put on their best clothes. According to the testimonies of shipwreck survivors, they just wanted to “say goodbye like gentlemen”. According to the recordings, Benjamin and Giglio were last seen smoking brandy and cigars together as the Titanic sank. After the disaster, both of them died, but after the disaster, their extraordinary stories gained worldwide fame. If you like it, let’s take a closer look at the story of the Guggenheim and listen to the gentleman’s farewell again.

Who is Benjamin Guggenheim?

Benjamin Guggenheim was born in New York in 1865. His Swiss parents, Mayer and Barbara Guggenheim, lived a wealthy life. Benjamin’s father, Meyer, was a famous and wealthy man. Meyer was a millionaire who owned the Guggenheim copper mine. Benjamin, the fifth of seven siblings, had been working with his brothers in his father’s company for a while. Benjamin married Florette J. Seligman in 1894. The couple had three daughters, Benita Rosalind Guggenheim, Margaret “Peggy” Guggenheim (a famous art collector and socialite who grew up) and Barbara Hazel Guggenheim. But despite being married with children, Benjamin was a socialite and popular with his celibate lifestyle.

How do you intersect with Titanic?

Benjamin and Floret’s marriage soon fell apart, and Benjamin’s business trips became more frequent. As these travels took him around the world, the couple began to grow more and more distant. This is exactly why he was taken on the Titanic voyage not by his future wife, but his mistress, a French singer named Leontine Aupart.

Besides Benjamin were Benjamin’s valet Giglio, Leontine’s maid Emma Sagesser, and their chauffeur Rene Pimot. On April 10, 1912, Benjamin and his crew left the port of Southampton, England. Then they boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, on the northern coast of France.

On the night of April 14, 1912, the Titanic collided with a huge iceberg. Benjamin and Giglio fell asleep in their first class suites unaware during the first collision, but are soon awakened by Leontine and Emma to news of the disaster.

Benjamin was dressed in a lifebelt and vest by one of the ship’s attendants, Henry Samuel Etches. The group was moved from the cabins to the boat deck. There, Leontine and Emma settled into Lifeboat 9, where women and children were given priority. As the Guggenheim bids farewell to Emma in German, “We’ll see you again soon! This is just a practice. Tomorrow the Titanic will resume course.” we heard. However, it soon became clear that Benjamin was wrong and the ship was sinking. That story that has been talked about for years started here.

Rather than wait or fight for a seat in a lifeboat, Benjamin and Giglio don their finest evening gowns and head back to their cabins. According to reports, they returned to the salon in formal and elegant clothes.

What were the expressions of the survivors?

The expressions of the survivors after the great catastrophe, which went down in the historical records, were eye-catching! Benjamin Witnesses “We’re dressed in our best clothes and ready to go down like gentlemen.” They said what they said. Rose Icard, one of the survivors: “After helping to save the women and children, Benjamin returned to his room, dressed in fine clothing, and had a red rose placed on his collar before he died.” stated. Etches, the housekeeper who helped Benjamin put on the lifebelt, was one of the survivors.

H remembered Benjamin’s last message to him and shared: “If anything happens to me, tell my wife I’m doing my best to do my duty.” The last thing Benjamin and Giglio could remember was that they seemed happy that the ship sank so quickly, enjoying brandy and cigars on their sofas.

Benjamin and Giglio gained worldwide fame after the disaster. So much so that newspapers were filled with their fantastic stories. Today, Benjamin and Giglio are among the most talked about names in connection with the Titanic disaster. On the other hand, the duo was also cast in the 1958 movie A Night to Remember, 1996 miniseries Titanic, and James Cameron 1997 Film Titanic. Despite the two men’s posthumous reputations, the only known photograph of Benjamin is available. On the other hand, it is known that there was no photo of Giglio until 2012.

The bitter story of the Titanic has been told for more than a hundred years. But have you ever wondered what happened to the captain of the ship in this story? If your answer is yes, let us get you there.