Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Spain: Nemrod

[lowwall]

I feel like @Nemrod should have something to add to this thread

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, one and all, for the likes and the posts in this new thread, which I am glad to see has generated plenty of interest. Please feel free to continue posting on Nemrod gear other than masks, snorkels and fins. I for one shall keep to that basic equipment when I post my own messages. My research knowledge and interests do not extend to SCUBA apparatus; I leave such matters to others.

I stated that I would start today by reviewing Nemrod diving masks and as is my wont hitherto, I shall begin with the earliest examples of eyewear from the Nemrod stable. Today's specimens will be from the category formerly known as "monogoggles".

Basic Version Nemrod Asteria (1945-1960)

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In Greek mythology, Asteria or Asterie (Ancient Greek: Ἀστερία or Ἀστερίη, romanized: Astería/Asteríē, literally "of the stars, starry one") is a daughter of the Titans Coeus (Polus) and Phoebe and the sister of Leto. According to Hesiod, by the Titan Perses she had a single child, a daughter named Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. Other authors made Asteria the mother of the fourth Heracles and Hecate by Zeus. As for the Nemrod "monogoggle" named after Asteria, here is the basic version used for surface spearfishing:

 

[David Wilson]

Another version of Nemrod Asteria monogoggle came with bulbs on either side to squeeze air into the interior, equalise pressure and prevent mask collapse at depth:

Alternative version of Nemrod Asteria monogoggle (1945-1956)

According to the owner of the Nemrod Museum on Facebook, the black version would have lasted longer than the coloured version.

 

[David Wilson]

Some examples of the two models in the contemporary literature:

This leaflet identifies the basic Asteria as the "semicircular model for fishing" and the Asteria with bulbs ("bolas") as the "semicircular model for deepwater fishing" that will "neutralise water pressure".

And now a little more about so-called monogoggles. The Rex-Hevea spearfisherman's companion defines the monogoggle thus: "This is a combination of the single-glass mask and binoculars; in fact a single shaped glass covers the eyes leaving the nose free". It was a design destined to disappear and conceived during the 1930s before it was realised that both eyes and nose should be enclosed within the diving mask.

Thus concludes today's lesson. I shall return at the weekend to review Nemrod's early binocular spearfishing and swimming goggles. Until then, keep safe and stay well.

 

[Popgun Pete]

I think the monogoggle which starts with Kramarenko's model which was a rigid plastic frame initially with a foam rubber sealing flange before becoming all rubber was popular because spearfishermen did not use snorkels nor fins at first. They were basically swimmers armed with polespears and I have seen references to a smell in the water when big fish were around as the fish relieved themselves. Giving up the sense of smell did not seem a problem when spearfishermen armed with guns could spend longer surveying an underwater scene before mounting an attack.

 

[Popgun Pete]

To elaborate on this further the use of eye cup goggles does not present a squeeze problem if the eyecup volumes are very small and the diver does not go down too deep. These goggles virtually sat in the eye socket of the skull and early version were carved from horn such as turtle shell which was thinned and polished to achieve the necessary translucency. However when you mount glass lenses in a frame the eye cups are going to have to be bigger and the volume increases particularly when you move to moulded rubber versions. Now eye squeeze will be a problem as the internal volumes have increased. Thus the Fernez firefighter's smoke googles pressed into underwater service initially were going to be ditched as the sport began to change.

To use a speargun effectively and exploit its greater range the diver needs stereoscopic vision and that requires a monogoggle. This in turn drives the volume up encompassing the eyes and eye squeeze which had been ignored by the (fool)hardy was going to be a problem and that is when rubber compensating "ear" bulbs appear because the mask has become a small air-filled bucket on the face.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, jale, Angelo and JMBL, and for the informative explanation, Pete.

I promised to take a closer look at Nemrod binocular goggles today. Before I do, let us take a moment to review the distinction the Rex-Hevea spearfishing companion makes between swimming and hunting goggles:

BINOCULAR GOGGLES. These goggles may be divided in two classes: 1) FOR SWIMMING, consisting of rubber frames in which are set two round or slightly trapezoidal glasses; these are suited only for swimming because, given the shape of the face, with a nose in the center, the glasses are inclined toward the temples, showing two distinct images. making it impossible to aim at the prey. 2) FOR HUNTING in which the two glasses, always round, are set upon a metal support which keeps them parallel to the eyes which eliminates the effect of the double image: this permits a perfect aim.

So, to sum up, the goggles with the rubber bridge between the twin trapezoidal lenses were designed for swimming, while a pair with a metal bridge between round lenses was meant for hunting because the latter arrangement eliminated double images and hence boosted the wearer's ability to aim accurately.

Curiously, the Nemrod range of goggles seems to have bucked this trend. Here is the Nemrod Asteria Natación (natación=swimming):

Note the metal support between round-ish lenses.

 

[David Wilson]

Nemrod catalogues continued targeting swimmers with their metal-bridge round-lens goggles until 1973, when the company brought out its Bi-Flex model:

As you can see from the second image, the Bi-Flex mask design received Spanish patent ES179646U for "una mascarilla de montura articulada" in April 1972.

 

[David Wilson]

Nemrod also launched a pair of goggles with a rubber bridge between trapazoidal lenses. The product name was "Nereida", Spanish for "Nereid". In Greek mythology, the Nereids (Ancient Greek: Νηρηΐδες) are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of the "Old Man of the Sea" Nereus and the Oceanid Doris, sisters to their brother Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon, the god of the sea, and can be friendly and helpful to sailors (such as the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece).

According to the owner of the Nemrod Museum on Facebook, the Nereida went through several versions and was intended for swimmers to use. Here is the first version, made during the 1950s:

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We don't have a picture of the second version, made in the first half of the 1960s. The third version, made between 1965 and 1969, can be seen below:

and here is a fourth version, available between 1971 and 1982:

The differences between the versions are largely cosmetic (logo, colour, split strap).

Here is a 1978 Skin Diver magazine ad for the Nereida, so the model was exported States-side in its time:

I'll finish here for today. Next time, midweek, we shall proceed to review the first diving masks (as opposed to monogoggles and binocular goggles) made by Nemrod. Until then, keep safe and stay well.

 

[WeRtheOcean]

I will be relying heavily on Google Translate as well as my Romance-language "intercomprehension" skills based on my knowledge of French and Latin.

No worries. My Romance-language intercomprehension skills (based on Spanish and Portuguese) came in handy in your threads about Italian manufacturers.

I found it interesrting in your list of "Spanish" manufacturers that almost all were either Balearic or Catalan. Catalan, of course, is a rather different language from standard Spanish.