Benjamin Guggenheim

Benjamin Guggenheim (Philadelphia, October 26th 1865 - Atlantic Ocean, April 15th 1912) was an American business man.

Guggenheim was born with Philadelphia, fifth of seven wire of Meyer Guggenheim (1828-1905), the richissime tycoon of mining industry. In 1894 he married Floretta Seligman, girl of a famous banker New Yorkean with which he had three girls: Benita, Peggy, and Hazel.

Whereas Guggenheim had inherited much money, he did not inherit the direction of the businesses of his father and the heritage of Benjamin Guggenheim decreased considerably because of investments unlucky person. It moved away from his wife and, officially for its business, it had often started from their hearth of New York. It had an apartment with Paris and it set out again about it to return at his place when it embarked on the Titanic with Cherbourg, Wednesday April 10th 1912, accompanied by its mistress, a French singer, Léontine Aubart (1887 - 1964). It perishes there at 46 years in the catastrophe, its body if it were found, forever identified.

The film Titanic reports in the following way the death of Benjamin Guggenheim: Whereas the luxurious steamer has just run up against a Iceberg and that it started to run, the rumor circulates that there was only half of the number of lifeboats necessary to all the passengers. Henry Samuel Etches, a boy of room, helps Guggenheim to thread a life jacket. Being unaware of the protests (“That will hurt”), Etches ends up succeeding in passing the life jacket to the tycoon of the mine and the iron and steel industry, and then makes him put a thick pullover and sent it in top, on the bridge. In spite of the prospect for an unquestionable death, after being themselves assured that Mrs. Aubart and his chambermaid, Emma Sägesser, could well take seat in a lifeboat, Guggenheim and its manservant their life jackets return to the steward and turn over to their continuation to get dressed in evening dress.

In the film, Guggenheim makes the following comment whereas the steamer is about to run: “We got dressed with our better, and we are ready to run like gentlemen”. Later, he says to a steward: “Known as with my wife whom I made of my to better do my duty. ”

Equipped in evening dress, at approximately two hours of the morning of the April 15th 1912, Guggenheim and its manservant are installed in armchairs on the bridge, and put at siroter cognac and to smoke of the cigars whereas the Titanic sinks. A scene of the film crossed to the assembly shows John Jacob Astor IV coming towards him and tightening him the hand, both acting as if they did not have any more any hope of survival.

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