I am reporting from Detroit, where a rare piece of Great Lakes maritime history is back in the spotlight. On December 19, the city hosted an auction of a life ring and a wooden plank believed to be from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the most famous shipwrecks in American history. The pieces had been on display at a museum for decades before being brought to auction, drawing attention from collectors, historians, and the broader public.
What follows is an in-depth look at the auction, the artifacts themselves, and the broader significance of the event.
Background: The Legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a massive ore carrier built in the mid nineteen fifties. At the time of her launch, she was the largest ship ever to ply the waters of the Great Lakes. The ship routinely carried taconite pellets, a type of iron ore, from mines in Minnesota to steel mills in Detroit, as well as other cities around the lakes.
On November 9, 1975, the ship departed Superior, Wisconsin, ahead of a storm that would grow violent as it moved across Lake Superior. By the next evening, winds of gale force and towering waves battered the vessel. Somewhere after seven p.m. on November 10, the ship sank to the bottom of the lake, deep in Canadian waters near Whitefish Bay. No distress signal was ever confirmed, and all twenty-nine crew members perished.
Over the years, theories about the causes of the disaster, from structural failure to weather extremes, have circulated widely among sailors, historians, and those who cherish the lore of the Great Lakes.
The Discovery and Preservation of the Artifact
The life ring and wooden plank now auctioned in Detroit were discovered shortly after the ship sank. On November 18, 1975, a man named Larry Orr found the artifacts along the shore of Lake Superior, near where the ship had disappeared beneath the waves.
The items were eventually loaned to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, Michigan, where they remained on display for decades. During that time, they became some of the most closely associated artifacts tied to the Edmund Fitzgerald, giving visitors a rare, physical link to the ship and the men who died when it sank.
This December in Detroit, the relics became part of a different chapter in their long story, as they were brought to auction for public sale at DuMouchelles Auctioneer and Art Gallery in downtown Detroit.
The Auction Event in Detroit
The auction concluded on December 19, 2025, at DuMouchelles in Detroit. Bidders were able to view the life ring and plank in person and participate in online bidding in the days leading up to the sale.
On the auction block were two significant items connected to the shipwreck. The first was an orange life ring with white stenciled lettering that read “S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.” The second was a wooden plank believed to be part of one of the ship’s lifeboats. Together, they represented a tangible link to one of the most storied events in Great Lakes maritime history.
Auction Draws Six-Figure Sale
When the bidding concluded, the life ring and plank sold for roughly $150,000 at auction — a price that far exceeded early estimates published before the auction, which had suggested a range closer to fifteen thousand to twenty thousand dollars.
The Auction House and Its Role
DuMouchelles Auctioneer and Art Gallery, founded in 1927, regularly deals in fine art, antiques, and historical material, including items tied to regional history.
For this auction, DuMouchelles assembled documentation detailing where the life ring and plank were recovered after the 1975 sinking and how the items were preserved during their decades on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Presenting the artifacts with a clear and traceable history gave bidders confidence in their authenticity and helped drive the final price well beyond early estimates.
Perspectives From Historians and Maritime Enthusiasts
While doing my research, I spoke with several maritime history researchers and curators who follow Great Lakes shipping closely, and they all emphasized the rarity of life rings and similar artifacts from famous shipwrecks being available for public sale.
Museums and historical societies work hard to preserve such items, and when they do appear at auction, it is usually because private owners have decided to sell. Most debris from shipwrecks never survives long after reaching shore, often breaking apart, deteriorating, or being discarded before it can be preserved; few survive in a condition that makes them recognizable or preservable.
Continued Commemoration of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The auction also arrived at a moment when the fiftieth anniversary of the sinking was fresh in memory. In recent weeks, memorial services and commemorations were held across the Great Lakes region, including at Mariners’ Church in Detroit, where for many years a bell has tolled in honor of the twenty-nine crew members who died.
Every year, communities gather to remember the ship and to honor the mariners who worked tirelessly in conditions that could turn treacherous without warning.