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Benjamin Guggenheim
Benjamin Guggenheim
Biological Information
Full name

Benjamin Guggenheim

Gender

Male

Born

October 26, 1865

Death

April 15, 1912 (age 46)

Cause

Perished on the Titanic

Background Information
Family
  • Schäfeli Levinger (grandmother)
  • Simon Meyer Guggenheim (grandfather)
  • Meyer Guggenheim (father)
  • Barbara Myers (mother)
  • Solomon R. Guggenheim (brother)
  • Irene Rothschild (sister-in-law)
  • Daniel Guggenheim (brother)
  • Florence Schloss Guggenheim (sister-in-law)
  • Simon Guggenheim (brother)
  • Olga Hirsch (sister-in-law)
  • Isaac Guggenheim (brother)
  • Carrie Sonneburn (sister-in-law)
  • William Guggenheim (brother)
  • Grace Brown (ex sister-in-law)
  • Aimee Steinberger (sister-in-law)
  • Albert Gerstle (brother-in-law)
  • Murry Guggenheim (brother)
  • Jeanette Guggenheim (sister)
  • Rose Guggenheim (sister)
  • Robert G. Guggenheim (brother)
  • Cora Guggenheim (sister)
  • Harry Frank Guggenheim (nephew)
  • Peggy Guggenheim (daughter)
  • M. Robert Guggenheim (nephew)
  • Barbara Hazel Guggenheim (daughter)
  • Gladys Guggenheim (niece)
  • Benita Rosalind Guggenheim (daughter)
  • Barbara Josephine Guggenheim (niece)
  • Eleanor May (niece)
  • Edyth Barbara Josephthal (niece)
  • Helen Rosenberg (ex niece-in-law)
  • Caroline Morton Potter (ex niece-in-law)
  • Alicia Patterson (niece-in-law)
  • Laurence Vail (ex son-in-law)
  • Max Ernst (son-in-law)
  • Arthur Stuart, 7th Earl Castle Stewart (nephew-in-law)
  • Clarence B. Hewes (nephew-in-law)
  • Louis Maurice Josephthal (nephew-in-law)
  • Michael Cedric Sindbad Vail (grandchildren)
  • Pegeen Vail Guggenheim (grandchildren)
  • Nicolas Hélion (great-grandson)
  • Fabrice Hélion (great grandson)
  • Jean Hélion (grandson-in-law)
  • Arthur Stuart, 8th Earl Castle Stewart (great-nephew)
  • Roger Williams Straus Jr. (great-nephew)
  • Audrey Josephthal (great-nephew)
  • Simon Stuart (great-nephew)
  • Robert Stuart, Viscount Stuart (great-nephew)
  • Diane Stuart (great-nephew)
  • Iris Love (great-niece)
  • Tristam Stuart (great-nephew)
  • Corin Stuart (great-nephew)
  • Thomas Stuart (great-nephew)
  • David Stuart, Viscount Stuart (great-nephew)
  • John Langstaff (great-niece in law)
  • Deborah Mounsey (great-niece in law)
  • Cornelius Stuart (great-nephew in law)
  • Gillian Savill (great-niece in law)
  • Ralph Rumney (grandson-in-law)
  • Andrew Stuart, Viscount Stuart (great great nephew)
  • Annie Stewart, Viscountess Stuart (great great niece in law)
  • Robert Wadey (great great great nephew in law)
  • Lady Bridget Stuart (great great niece)
  • Celia Stuart (great great great niece)
  • Miriam Wadey (great great great niece)
  • Iris Love (great great great niece)
  • Liz Smith (great great great niece in law)
Romances
  • Florette Seligman (m. 1894, his death 1912)
  • Léontine Aubert (mistress)
Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Religion

Jewish

Titanic Statistics
Boarded

Cherbourg, France

Destination

New York, U.S.A.

Occupation

Passenger

Class

First-Class

Fate

Drowning

Production
Classification

Historical character

Portrayal

Michael Ensign

Benjamin Guggenheim was an American millionaire businessman. He died aboard the Titanic when the ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Life on Titanic[]

Guggenheim was travelling in first-class with his valet Victor Giglio and his mistress, Leontine Aubert. He appears during the first-class dinner scene, along with the other upper-class passengers.

Benjamin Guggenheim

Benjamin Guggenheim before perishing in the First class stairwell

Realizing that the situation was much more serious than he had implied, as well as realizing he was not going to be rescued, he then returned to his cabin with Giglio and the two men changed into evening wear. The two are seen in the Grand Staircase closing the door behind them. He was heard to remark, "We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen." He also gave a survivor a message saying, "Tell my wife, if it should happen that my secretary and I both go down, tell her I played the game out straight to the end. No woman shall be left aboard this ship because Ben Guggenheim was a coward."

Guggenheim and his valet, Victor Giglio, were last seen in the flooding Grand Staircase on chairs with a glass of brandy watching in horror as many first class passengers were struggling in the rushing water. Both men went down with the ship.

Guggenheim and Giglio are then seen in the dream sequence at the end of the movie when Rose returns to the ship.

Behind the Scenes[]

Guggenheim is also well known for another quote that he said to Victor, which was "Remind me to never travel with a Foreigner again." Victor then answered dryly "I am a foreigner, sir.", which wasn't shown in the movie, however, it was seen in the Titanic 2012 miniseries.

In Cameron's Titanic, Guggenhiem is shown to be in the Grand Staircase as it floods; in realitly, eyewitness accounts say that Guggenhiem and Giglio were actually seen on deck near the band.

External links[]

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