Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Italy: Mares and Pirelli

[David Wilson]

Thanks, as always, for the likes.

Now for the fortunes of the Pirelli Nereide mask from the mid-1960s, starting with 1965.

24. (1965) Nereide

From Pirelli's 1965 catalogue.
Italian: "NEREIDE®. Con facciale circolare e ghiera metallica; apposita orlatura per una perfetta tenuta e aderenza al viso. Ampio fascia nucale. Dispostivo con valvola cilindrica a tampone che consente, con eccezionale facilità, la respirazione fisiologica. L. 5.000."
Rough translation: "NEREIDE®. With circular faceplate and metal band; special hem for a perfect seal and grip to the face. Wide head strap. Device with cylindrical pad valve which allows physiological respiration with exceptional ease. L. 5,000."

Comparing the product descriptions of 1964 and 1965, note the removal of tinted lens and compensator device options.

25. (1966) Nereide

Italian: "NEREIDE®. Con facciale circolare e ghiera metallica; apposita orlatura per una perfetta tenuta e aderenza al viso. Ampio fascia nucale.Dispostivo con valvola cilindrica a tampone che consente, con eccezionale facilità, la respirazione fisiologica. L. 5.000. NEREIDE con elemento di contropressione L. 6.150. NEREIDE con vetro giallo L. 6000."
Rough translation: "NEREIDE®. With circular faceplate and metal band; special hem for a perfect seal and grip to the face. Wide head strap. Device with cylindrical pad valve which allows physiological respiration with exceptional ease. L. 5,000. NEREIDE with counter-pressure device L. 6,150. NEREIDE with yellow glass L. 6,000."

The return of the lens and compensator options! By universal demand, I wonder?

26. (1967) Nereide

Italian: "NEREIDE®. Con facciale circolare e ghiera metallica; apposita orlatura per una perfetta tenuta e aderenza al viso. Ampio fascia nucale.Dispostivo con valvola cilindrica a tampone che consente, con eccezionale facilità, la respirazione fisiologica. L. 5.000. NEREIDE con elemento di contropressione L. 6.150. NEREIDE con vetro giallo L. 6.000."
Rough translation: "NEREIDE®. With circular faceplate and metal band; special hem for a perfect seal and grip to the face. Wide head strap. Device with cylindrical pad valve which allows physiological respiration with exceptional ease. L. 5,000. NEREIDE with counter-pressure device L. 6,150. NEREIDE with yellow glass L. 6,000."

27. (1968) Nereide

Italian: "NEREIDE®. Con facciale circolare e ghiera metallica; apposita orlatura per una perfetta tenuta e aderenza al viso. Ampio fascia nucale.Dispostivo con valvola cilindrica a tampone che consente, con eccezionale facilità, la respirazione fisiologica. L. 5.000.
Rough translation: "NEREIDE®. With circular faceplate and metal band; special hem for a perfect seal and grip to the face. Wide head strap. Device with cylindrical pad valve which allows physiological respiration with exceptional ease. L. 5,000."

Note the departure of the options once again. 1968 was the Nereide's final appearance after two decades of sales. Quite an extraordinary feat for what began as a somewhat elaborate and perhaps overengineered contribution to diving mask development. The greatest advantage of the original patented construction was the ability to simplify the design in later years converting the compensator device to an option.

 

[David Wilson]

Fabio Vitale included the Nereide when he surveyed 1950s diving masks in his HDSItalia article of July 2001:

Italian: "Maschera Nereide Pirelli. Grande cristallo tondo racchiuso da ghiera inossidabile. Carcassa in gomma rigida arancione. Snorkel sistemato nella parte alta e centrale e con chiusura brevettata a “scorrimento”.
Rough translation: "Pirelli Nereide Mask. Large round lens enclosed by stainless steel band. Hard orange rubber body. Snorkel located top centre and fitted with patented 'sliding' shut-off valve."

And here are a couple of models from the collections of the Museo Subacqueo Torinese and Luigi Fabbri:

Italian: "Pirelli. Gran Facciale in gomma prodotto dalla Pirelli con boccaglio protetto da un tappo di chiusura rosso per impedire all’acqua di penetrare all’interno. Adatta per lo snorkeling."
Rough translation: "Pirelli. Rubber full-face mask manufactured by Pirelli with snorkel protected by a red shut-off cap to keep water out. Suitable for snorkelling."

Italian: "MARCA: PIRELLI. MODELLO: Nereide. TIPOLOGIA: Maschera granfacciale. CARATTERISTICHE: Aeratore centrale incorporato. PRESA PER IL NASO: No. FISSAGGIO: Testiera a cinghiolo largo. MATERIALE: Gomma. COLORE: Azzurro. DIMENSIONE VETRO: -. PARTICOLARITÀ: Possibilità di indossamento con bocca compresa o esclusa. NOTE: Valvola aeratore CILINDRICA in sughero con chiusura a tampone. NAZIONALITÀ: Italia. ANNO DI PRESENTAZIONE: 1953. PROVENIENZA: Cataloghi."
English: "BRAND: PIRELLI. MODEL: Nereide. TYPOLOGY: Full-face mask. TECHNICAL FEATURES: Central snorkel incorporated. NASAL OCCLUSION: No. FASTENING OF THE STRAP: Wide strap. CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL: Rubber. COLOUR: Blue. CRYSTAL SIZE: -. PECULIARITY: Possibility of wearing with mouth included or excluded. NOTE: Snorkel valve cylindrical cork with stopper closure.NATIONALITY: Italy. YEAR OF PRESENTATION: 1953. ORIGIN: Catalogues."

I'll leave matters there for today, returning midweek to take a look at the Pirelli Oceanina snorkel-mask. Stay safe and well in the meantime.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, as always, for the likes, guys.

As promised, the Pirelli Oceanina snorkel-mask, and since the latter model did not outlive the 1950s, we shall also be reviewing a related snorkel-mask, the Pirelli Doride, that was similarly short-lived.

"Oceanina" is Italian for "Oceanic", but the name might also be an adjective ultimately deriving from "Oceano", Italian for the Ancient Greek deity we know as "Oceanus". In Greek mythology, Oceanus (Greek: Ὠκεανός, was the Titan son of Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethys, and the father of the river gods and the Oceanids, as well as being the great river which encircled the entire world. See the Wikipedia article if you wish to know more.

As for the snorkel-mask named "Oceanina", we have already previewed what it looked like in our survey of the Pirelli Nereide snorkel-mask, namely Nerino Bedini's US patent for a submarine mask for atmospheric and automatic breathing originally filed on 12 September 1947:

You can read US patent 2,488,261 for yourself at US2488261A - Submarine mask for atmospheric and autonomous breathing - Google Patents. We also encountered another US patent for a submarine mask originally filed by Nerino Bedini and others on 27 August 1947:

The full US patent 2,534,568 of 19 December 1950 can be accessed at US2534568A - Submarine mask - Google Patents.

So here is the Pirelli Oceanina snorkel-mask in 1954:

The image above from the 1954 edition of the Rex-Hevea S.P.A. "La Squala" Vademecum del cacciatore subacqueo. Its caption follows in Italian, English and in what I consider a better translation:
Italian: "OCEANINA PIRELLI: è la più robusta e completa della serie: un’apposita calotta di gomma nera copre anche la testa: cristallo rotondo, grande, con ghiera; shnorkel a « scorrimento » (come nella Nereide): nella sua parte inferiore ha un foro, ora otturato, che permette l’eventuale passaggio del tubo corrugato degli autorespiratori: misura unica media. (MAPOCE) Lit. 9.000. (MAPOLU) con elem. di contropressione Lit. 10.000."
English: "Is the strongest and most complete of the series; a special cap of black rubber covers the whole head; a large round crystal with blocking ring; «sliding» snorkel (as in the NEREIDE); at the lower end there is a hole, now plugged, which, in case of need gives passage to the corrugated tube of the self-breathing apparatus: medium size only."
My translation: "OCEANINA PIRELLI: the most robust and complete in the [full-face snorkel-mask] series: a special black rubber cap covers the whole head: large round lens with retaining band; “sliding” snorkel (as in the Nereide): its lower part has a hole, now blocked, allowing the possible passage of the corrugated tube of the self-contained breathing apparatus: medium size only."

And here is the same model again in 1958:

The image above from the 1958 edition of the Rex-Hevea S.P.A. "La Squala" Vademecum del cacciatore subacqueo. Its caption follows in Italian, English and in what I consider a better translation:
Italian: "OCEANINA PIRELLI: è la più robusta e completa dalla serie; un’apposita calotta di gomma nera ricopre anche la testa; ampio cristallo rotondo bloccato da ghiera; snorkel con valvola «a scorrimento» come nella Nereide; nella parte inferiore della carcassa esiste un foro, opportunamente otturato, attraverso cui potrebbe passare il tubo corrugato ed il boccaglio in un eventuale autorespiratore. Misura unica media."
English: "This is the sturdiest and most complete of the collection; a special black rubber cap covers the head completely; an ample round ring blocked glass; snorkel with slide valve as in the Nereide; there is an aperture in the lower part of the frame, properly plugged, through which, if required, could be passed the corrugated tube and mouthpiece of the self-breathing apparatus. Medium size only."
My translation: "OCEANINA PIRELLI: the most robust and complete in the series. Special black rubber cap also covers the head; large round lens retained by band; snorkel with “sliding” valve as in the Nereid; in the lower part of the body there is a hole, suitably blocked, through which the corrugated tube and the mouthpiece could pass in a possible self-contained breathing apparatus. Medium size only."

Fabio Vitale included the Oceanina when he surveyed 1950s diving masks in his HDSItalia article of July 2001:

Italian: "Maschera Oceanina Pirelli. La carcassa in gomma nera è costituita da una calotta che ricopre anche la testa. Cristallo tondo bloccato da ghiera e snorkel con valvola a scorrimento. Nella parte inferiore della carcassa esiste un foro, opportunamente chiuso, attraverso cui potrebbe passare il tubo corrugato ed il boccaglio di un eventuale autorespiratore.
Rough translation: "Pirelli Oceanina Mask. Black rubber body consists of a cap that also covers the head. Round lens retained by band and snorkel with sliding valve. There is a hole, appropriately sealed, in the lower part of the body, making it possible to insert the corrugated tube and the mouthpiece of a set of self-contained breathing apparatus."

 

[David Wilson]

So much for the historical sources of Pirelli Oceanina information and imagery. Here are some pictures of real-life examples. The one below is from a mid-20c Pirelli magazine, showing the Oceanina worn by a model equipped with a rebreather:

These four from the Divescrap website:

The Pirelli Oceanina is a unique snorkel-mask in the Pirelli range of snorkel-masks, not only because it provides access to two sources of breathing air, the atmopshere through the snorkel and compressed air through the corrugated hose attached to the rebreather, but also because it provides a "cap" for the top of the head where other snorkel-masks would feature a strap harness at most. This "cap" design is reminiscent of the "mask-hoods" made by other manufacturers around the world during the 1950s:

Undersee Products (Australia) Frogman and Commando Helmets

International Divers Corporation (Canada) Mask-Hood and Full-Mask-Hood

 

[David Wilson]

And finally for today we come to the Pirelli Doride snorkel-mask, which belongs to the same product family as the Nereide and the Oceanina. Like the Oceanina, the Doride was discontinued when the 1960s came around. The product name "Doride" associates this model with the "Nereide", which you may remember is Italian for "Nereid". In Greek mythology, the Nereids (Greek: Νηρηΐδες Nereides, singular Νηρηΐς Nereis) were sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to their brother Nerites. While the name "Nereide" suggests the offspring of Nereus, the name "Doride" suggests the offspring of Doris, so there are both ancient and modern connections between Nereide and Doride!

So here is the Pirelli Doride snorkel-mask in 1954:

The image above from the 1954 edition of the Rex-Hevea S.P.A. "La Squala" Vademecum del cacciatore subacqueo. Its caption follows in Italian, English and in what I consider a better translation:
Italian: "DORIDE PIRELLI: è derivata dalla Nereide di cui mantiene le caratteristiche; ampio cristallo ovale e shnorkel centrale; carcassa in gomma nera o colorata. (MADORI) Lit. 3.000.
English: "Is derived from the mask Nereide of which has the same characteristics; ample oval crystal and the shnorkel in the center; frame either in black or colored rubber."
My translation: "DORIDE PIRELLI: derivative of the Nereide whose characteristics it maintains; large oval lens and central snorkel; black or coloured rubber body."

And here is the same model again in 1958:

The image above from the 1958 edition of the Rex-Hevea S.P.A. "La Squala" Vademecum del cacciatore subacqueo. Its caption follows in Italian, English and in what I consider a better translation:
Italian: "DORIDE PIRELLI: è derivata dalla Nereide di cui potrà essere considerata la sorella minore; ampio cristallo ovale e snorkel a bilanciere con galleggiante in sughero."
English: "A smaller edition of the Nereide, with an ample oval glass and rocker arm snorkel with a cork floater."
My translation: "DORIDE PIRELLI: derivative of the Nereide whose younger sister it can be considered to be; large oval lens and rocker snorkel with cork float."

Fabio Vitale included the Oceanina when he surveyed 1950s diving masks in his HDSItalia article of July 2001:

Italian: "Maschera Doride Pirelli. Derivata dalla Nereide ma più piccola. Cristallo ovale e snorkel a bilanciere con galleggiante in sughero."
Rough translation: "Pirelli Doride Mask. Derived from Nereide but smaller. Oval lens and snorkel with rocker and cork float."

So the Pirelli Doride is a smaller-sized snorkel-mask with no metal lens-retaining rim and fitted with a cork float valve instead of the patented sliding valve found on the Nereide and Oceanina snorkel-masks. The specifications of the Doride suggest a budget version of the Nereide for younger people.

That's plenty for today. I'll be back at the weekend with another member of the early-1950s Nereide-Oceanina-Doride family of snorkel-masks: the Ondina. Keep safe and well until then.

 

[jale]

Hi
Thanks again
I thought I knew quite a bit about these front oxygen rebreathers but it is the first time I see such a combination snorkel-rebreather!

 

[АлександрД]

@David Wilson some more about masks of Pirelli Photos Pirelli LS 901

Photos Pirelli LS 901
Pirelli ARO WW II

Pirelli Diving Suit

hope, will helpfull for you

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, guys, for the likes and in particular to АлександрД for drawing my attention to the images on The Rebreather Site based in the Netherlands, which is an especially good source of information about matters Pirelli, including the company's famous Muta di Gomma dry suit. The Oceanina-related illustrations were indeed very helpful to me.

And now we move on to the final member of the first Pirelli family of snorkel-masks launched in the early 1950s, namely the "Ondina", which translates from Italian into English either as "little wave" or as the mythological water being "Undine". The following excerpt from the Italian-language Wikipedia article entitled "Ondina" elaborates: "Undines, or undines (from the Latin unda - wave), are legendary creatures listed among the elementals of water in Paracelsus' works on alchemy. They are also part of European folklore, in which they appear generally described as creatures related to fairies; the name can also be used for other similar water spirits. According to tradition, the undines are devoid of a soul (and therefore are barred from accessing Paradise after death), but they can earn one by marrying a mortal man. Undines are also present in Germanic folklore, where they are mysterious creatures similar to Greek mermaids, which inhabit rivers and which sometimes attract men to the point of drowning them. They are typically portrayed as beautiful women with fish tails. Depending on the traditions, they are considered to be evil, harmless, or even friendly beings." John William Waterhouse's 1872 oil painting of "Undine, sea nymph" is posted above.

We begin our review of the Pirelli Ondina mask with their entries in the 1954 and 1958 editions of the Rex-Hevea S.P.A. "La Squala" Vademecum del cacciatore subacqueo:

1954

The caption to the image above follows in Italian, English and in what I consider to be a better translation:
Italian: "ONDINA PIRELLI MARES: di forma analoga alla precedente ma con shnorkel «a gomito» e sulla destra: bardatura che ricopre le orecchie: colori vari: misura unica grande. (MAPINA) Lit. 4.500. (TUPION) dispositivo shnorkel Lit 1.400)."
English: "Similar in shape to the preceding but with an elbow bend snorkel on the right side; with headpiece covering the ears; in various colors; single, large measure."
My translation: "ONDINA PIRELLI MARES: similar in shape to the previous one [Pirelli Nereide] but with an “elbow” snorkel on the right: harness covering the ears: various colours: one large size. 4,500 lire. Snorkel device 1,400 lire."

1958

Once again, the caption to the image above follows in Italian, English and in what I consider to be a better translation:
Italian: "ONDINA PIRELLI MARES: (ad esaurimento) differisce dalla Nereide solo perché dotata di snorkel «a gomito» e sistemato sulla destra della carcassa; una speciale bardatura rende difficile all’acqua l’accesso alle orecchie; gomma nera o variamente colorata e misura unica grande.
English: "(Until stock is exhausted): differs from the Nereide only because it has a snorkel with an elbow bend built-in on the right side of the frame; a special band protects the ears from the water; made in black and various colors of rubber in only one large size."
My translation: "ONDINA PIRELLI MARES: (While stocks last) it differs from the Nereide only because it is equipped with an “elbow” snorkel placed on the right side of the body; a special harness makes it difficult for the water to access the ears; black or variously coloured rubber and large size only."

 

[David Wilson]

So much for the contemporary sources of information available to me about the Pirelli Ondina snorkel-mask. By way of contrast, here are two sources of information dating from our New Milliennium about the same model.

Fabio Vitale included the Ondina when he surveyed 1950s diving masks in his HDSItalia article of July 2001:

Italian: "Maschera Ondina Pirelli. Carcassa in gomma nera o di vai colori, misura unica grande. Dotata di snorkel a gomito sistemato sulla destra della carcassa. Dotata di una speciale bardatura che rende difficile l’ingresso dell’acqua alle orecchie."
Rough translation: "Pirelli Ondina Mask. Black or coloured rubber body. Large size only. Supplied with a snorkel with a bend positioned on the right-hand side of the body. Supplied with a special harness, which makes it difficult for water to enter the ears."

Virginio Masera has a specimen of a Pirelli Ondina in his wonderful Turin Museum of Underwater Activity.

He captions it thus: "Pirelli-Mares. Maschera Gran Facciale in gomma prodotta dalla Pirelli negli anni ‘70 e distribuita dalla Mares. Era dotata di una larga fascia fissata con ganci metallici, che girava attorno alla nuca. Il tubo, che è stato sostituito, terminava con un tappo di sughero, originale, per bloccare l’ingresso degli spruzzi." Which translates roughly as follows: "Pirelli-Mares. Rubber full-face mask manufactured by Pirelli in the 1970s and distributed by Mares. It was fitted with a wide strap, secured with metal hooks, which went around the nape of the neck. The tube, which has been replaced, originally ended with a cork to keep the spray out."

 

[David Wilson]

These four sources, two ancient and two modern, vividly conjure up the specifications of the Ondina snorkel-mask, which is strictly speaking a "Pirelli-Mares" product because it was manufactured by Pirelli but marketed by Mares as a joint venture. Coincidentally, there is a resemblance between the Pirelli Ondina and the Mares Paraggi (below) in having a curved snorkel tube on the right-hand side as well as a wide strap and a metal lens retention band:

The Pirelli Ondina's intricate metalwork and the huge cork float of its shut-off valve may look overengineered, but they are far from unique. Compare the "Pat Breather" invented by Australian spearfishing pioneer Pat Heffernan in the late 1940s:

When we view these mid-twentieth-century snorkel-mask designs in the second decade of our new milliennium, we may smile condescendingly, associating them with the humour of English cartoonist, illustrator and artist William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944), best known for drawings of whimsically elaborate machines to achieve simple objectives:

It's a sobering thought, however, that all today's state-of-the-art contributions to the world of scuba may end up as objects of derision fifty years hence. Perhaps the lesson to be learnt is that simplification is a necessary and laudable trend in technological innovation that remains a work in progress that will never reach completion, so let's not be too judgemental when it comes to the skilled and inspired inventors who started the whole process with fewer precedents and less scientific knowledge than we now possess.

Pirelli eventually parted company with Mares, giving their Ondina snorkel-mask a makeover before or when the 1959 Pirelli sporting goods catalogue appeared, but that's for me to review another day. some time midweek. If you are curious and cannot wait until then, you can always find the relevant Pirelli catalogue at PIRELLI 1959 | BluTimeScubaHistory. In the meantime, as always, stay safe and well.