Book or other reference suggestions?

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Gene_Hobbs

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I was wondering if the Museum could suggest any good books or other references on the history/ development of specific equipment (masks, fins, etc.)?

I have found Robert Davis' 1955 Deep Diving and Submarine Operations (6th ed.). very helpful but know there has to be more recent work covering the history of equipment development after the 1955 edition I have.

Thanks!
 
I was wondering if the Museum could suggest any good books or other references on the history/ development of specific equipment (masks, fins, etc.)? I have found Robert Davis' 1955 Deep Diving and Submarine Operations (6th ed.). very helpful but know there has to be more recent work covering the history of equipment development after the 1955 edition I have. Thanks!

I'm not aware of any such work, and believe me I have looked. If you're interested in the development of American gear during the 1950s, I would recommend that you browse through the early manufacturers' section of the Skin Diving History site at
Skin Diving History

It's a veritable treasure trove of old advertisements for items of skin diving equipment, not just the usual regulator stuff, but the full range, from masks on the head to fins on the feet. My one criticism of the site is that the adverts aren't dated.

As for books, the Carriers' "Dive" (1955 edition) has an excellent appendix, listing gear with prices. Two British books I value highly for their equipment information content is Ley Kenyon's "Collins Pocket Guide to the Undersea World" (1956) and Peter Small's ""Your Guide to Underwater Adventure" (1957). Sadly, there's no European equivalent of the Skin Diving History site. I would also recommend Springer's "Skin & Scuba Diver's Digest" (1975) and Clinton's "The Complete Outfitting & Source Book for Sport Diving" (1978) for their coverage of the equipment of the 1970s.

If you're interested in old European diving catalogues, one of the best collections I know is at

www.sukellusmuseo.fi

Don't be put off by the fact that the site is in Finnish, just click on the dozens of links leading to full-texts (not just front-covers) of these companies' catalogues. I wish there were more sites like this one - too many catalogues are in the hands of private collectors who aren't always prepared to scan what they have for the benefit of all diving historians.

I'll stop there. To recap, I don't know of any definitive history of diving equipment from the 1940s, say, to the present. The only alternatives I know are manuals from different periods during the last six decades, some of which have large sections on the equipment of the time. I do have research interests in masks and fins before the silicone and plastic revolution and would be happy to add and elaborate upon what I've written above.
 
Dear Gene, A Pictorial History of Diving, published in the early 1980s has a review of the development of diving equipment up to its publication. The book, published by Best Publishing, written by the Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Society is out of print. You can sometimes find copies of the book online. If you are having difficulty locating it, we have a limited number of (autographed) copies for sale at the Museum, just contact me.

In addition, we have exhibits at the Museum that cover the development of diving equipment through the late twentieth century. We are also in the process of building a world class research library where diving historians and lay-people alike can find the answers to questions such as yours.
 
Thanks guys! I really appreciate the direction.

The book, published by Best Publishing, written by the Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Society is out of print.

I found it in the UHMS library collection here at Duke. Thanks for the tip! My request should go through over the next few days. Do you mind looking, is the copyright UHMS or Best? We work with UHMS a lot and hold all their journal articles (UBR, JHM, and UHM), abstracts, and workshops online so this was a GREAT tip.
 
The book is copyright 1988 by Best Publishing Company. The ISBN is 0-941332-09-8. You've got me interested in finding out more about Rubicon now...

ALWAYS happy to help! Debbie
 
The last edition of Sir Robert Davis book 'Deep diving and Submarine operations' was published in 1995, as a two volume cased set and sold at that time for $275.00 US. Yes I have a copy, No it is not for sale.

There are many many books, articles and documents that should provide answers to you quest for information...The listing that follows is from my personal collection which is recognized by the world's serious diving bibliophiles as the most complete private collection in the world. Perhaps it will provide some insight as to what is-or was avaliable

PERSONAL LIBRARY
I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver" magazine (1951 to it's demise) including every diving equipment catalog published and all Underwater Film Festival programs. This is the only set of its kind in existence any where in the world.

I also have a extensive collection of Skin diver magazine covers inscribed to me by Art Pender, (1954) Ron Merker (1955) Bev Morgan (1961) Jack Prodanovich (1953)
Wally Potts (1957) and numerous others.

Movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Tony Francioso, Singer ,John Gary

Artist John Steel SDM covers have been inscribed to me (I also own several of his pictures)

I also have complete bound sets of “Dive”, “NDA News”, American Scuba Diver”, Aquarius”, "Water World", "Underwater", "Fathom", "Sport Diving”, "Underwater Photographer",” California Diver,” “ Pacific Diver”, “SCUBA PRO Diving and Snorkeling”, “Diving and Snorkeling Quarterly” “Ocean Realm”, all of which are no longer published. Maintain and bind current sets of “Dive Training”, “Sport Diver”, Historical Diver” (USA), “Historical Diving Times” (UK), and “HDS Notizie” (Italy).

Have the only known complete set of “Pacific and Atlantic Underwater News”, published from 1966 to 1971. It was the first newspaper devoted entirely to the underwater world. Appeared in numerous issues of this publication.

I also have what is considerd the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals begining with the Spaco manual of 1949 to about 1980.

I also have all the USN diving manuals beginning with the original 1905 "Manual for Divers" to the conversion to electronic format

I have published approximately two hundred articles on sport diving in the NAUI News, Los Angeles County Underwater News, Skin Diver, Dive, Discover Diving, Aqua Corps, Historical Diver, and Arizona Diving News, Southwest Diver Magazines, Historical Diving Times (UK), Free Diving and Spear Fishing News (Australia).

From June 1999 to August 2002 I wrote a twice-monthly column “Dive Bubbles” for the five cities Times Press Recorder newspaper. It is reported that this column was the first and only regularly scheduled diving newspaper column in California and possibly the United States


August 1960 appeared on the front cover of Skin Diver Magazine magazine

February 1966, selected, featured and honored as the first guest editor of Skin Diver magazine.


Fall, 1988 issue I was featured as a Celebrity Seafood Chef Scuba Pro Diving and Snorkeling.


I have collected and maintain an extensive 1000 plus volume diving library, the majority of which are rare out of print books. Many have been personally inscribed by the authors who were also friends and diving companions,in addition to being noted diving authorities; Dr. Bruce Halstead, F.M. Roberts, Bill Royal, John Reseck Jr., Dr. James Dugan, Clint Degn, John D. Craig, Dick Schroeder, two (2) Eugenie Clark, two (2) by Bill Barada & Lloyd Bridges, two (2) by Dr. Terry Mass, two (2) by Francis "Doug" Fane and (6) six by Sir Arthur C.Clarke, six (six) by Dr. Hans Hass, five (5) by Lotte Hass, seven (7) by Clive Cussler and seven (7) by J.Y. Cousteau

I also maintain a number of extensive historic files.
The dive flag; it's history, development, subsequent litigations and finally world wide acceptance
The American retailer, Sears, Penny's and Wards early involvent in the diving industry
Guy Gilpatric, his books and his life and death.

I have a bound edition of James Dugan's 1948 "First of the menfish" which introduced J.Y. Cousteau and self contained diving to the US

In May 1996 I organized and hosted the very first US diving bibliophile meeting. It was attended by diving bibliophiles from the western US and via telephone from throughout the US.

Upon my demise the entire collection with be inherited by my son Dr. Sam IV, who is a NAUI (life) PADI instructor, Pro 5000 and a qualified ER & Hyperbaric doctor.

sdm111
 
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Sam - What a wealth of information and resources you have. I am thrilled to know there are folks with your level of expertise out there. Our next big project at the Museum is a research library. Sounds like a project we should keep you in the loop on.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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