Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Spain: Nemrod

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Jale, and for the post, WeRtheOcean. The intercomprehensibility of the Romance languages is a distinct advantage when reading texts from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even Romania, not to mention multilingual countries like Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. To me, Catalan bears a certain resemblance to French, which I suppose is no coincidence considering Catalonia shares a border with France. It's the only region of Spain I have visited, having spent a week in the resort of Sitges near Barcelona during the 1970s.

Now back to early Nemrod eyewear. Today we take a closer look at diving masks enclosing the nose as well as the eyes. Starting from the earliest days, from the mate 1940s to the late 1950s, I cannot guarantee to mention every Nemrod mask from those decades, as documentation is sparse and imagery even sparser, so feel free to intervene if I miss any model in the process.

Let us start with the Asteria Circular, which was around from the late 1940s to 1962:

The illustrations are from Facebook's Nemrod Museum, where the owner reveals the purpose of the ringlet at the top. Apparently, this feature enabled the mask to be worn with a frontal breathing tube during the 1950s when such snorkels were in vogue within the underwater swimming community. Here is a similar contemporary set-up from the UK:

Nemrod's Asteria Circular came in red or blue with an "almohadilla", Spanish for "cushion", which I take to mean a skirt terminating in a soft supple flange with a wide edge that seals comfortably against the face. Here is the model in 1951:

 

[David Wilson]

Later illustrations of the Asteria Circular:

1955

Two models now, one with and one without the "cushion".

1956

1960

I have no explanation for the tubular device emerging from the right-hand mask, which is the "almohadilla" model. Any ideas?

1962

Last appearance. The caption mentions the mask's oval lens, perfect seal, clear vision and suitability for adults.

There was also a Nemrod Asteria Parra diving mask in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but none of the documentation I have described or illustrated it.

Sufficient for the day. Next time, at the weekend, I shall proceed to other Nemrod diving masks from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Keep safe and stay well.

 

[jale]

1960

View attachment 735284​

I have no explanation for the tubular device emerging from the right-hand mask, which is the "almohadilla" model. Any ideas?

"device for underwater ears scratching" ?

 

[Akimbo]

This knife was sold by Nemrod in the US for years. It was inexpensive and was a favorite of commercial divers because of the dual cutting edge (fine serrations and a decent knife edge) plus the lanyard attach point.

It would rust a little around the pressed-on rubber handle but not that bad.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Iowwall and Jale, and for the posts, Jale and Akimbo.

Today we shall review a further couple of Nemrod masks designed and marketed in the 1940s or 1950s. Let us start with the Asteria Caribe; the name is Spanish for the Caribbean.

The Caribe remained in production throughout the 1950s. It was a simple, small-sized mask. Like many other models of the "ASTERIA" series, with the characteristic screw holding the metal rim in place on one side. Here is the model in a 1959 Bavillesset catalogue:

As you can see, the Caribe then came in two versions: a basic one with a plain head strap, a retaining screw at the side and a de-luxe one with a higher price tag, a split head strap, a retaining screw at the top and a shatterproof (inastillable = shatterproof) glass lens. Otherwise, a typical oval mask design designed for people with smaller faces.

 

[David Wilson]

Second Nemrod diving mask of the day is the Asteria Menorca. Menorca (from Latin: Insula Minor, literally "smaller island") is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. The image above shows the harbour of the island's capital, Mahon. As for the Nemrod mask:

This mask was available between 1959 and 1967. The skirt was soft plastic and according to Facebook's Nemrod Museum, the strap colour was random, hence the apparent mismatch. Note the metal rim with the top screw and the rounded square lens.

1961

Spanish: "PS 2090. - MENORCA - Con montura de material plástico muy blando y flexible que permite perfecta adaptación. Va montada con aro metálico de seguridad y cristal de forma rectangular. Por su gran ángulo de visión es recomendable para turismo submarino".
Rough translation: "PS 2090. - MENORCA - With a very soft and flexible plastic body enabling a perfect fit. It is mounted with a metal safety rim and rectangular lens. Due to its wide viewing angle, it is recommended for underwater tourism.

1964

I shall finish here for today, moving on to other early Nemrod diving masks some time midweek. Until then, keep safe and stay well.

 

[Angelo Farina]

"almohadilla" means "pad" in English, "imbottitura" in Italian. Still unclear what this device was used for...

 

[Popgun Pete]

"Sin" means without so the left hand mask is without "pad" and the right hand mask is with "pad". The small tube seems to emerge from behind the front part of the mask flange and must have something to do with the compliance of the pad. Either something is filled with air to create a cushion or it can be let out as the end of the tube seems to end in a metal valve. Seems a madcap idea if so and engineering voids in a moulded product is not easy unless something is glued on from the rear. Its “success” can be judged by its absence in later masks.

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks for the likes, Angelo, Jale and Mordem. And for the posts, Angelo and Pete.

More early Nemrod diving masks and we begin today with the Asteria Céfiro. "Céfiro" is Spanish for "Zephyr", a light wind or a west wind, named after Zephyrus, the Greek god or personification of the west wind.

1950s

Spanish: "Mod. 2058. - Lentes ASTERIA modelo CEFIRO, con aro metálico de seguridad y cristal triangular".
Rough translation: "Model 2058. - ASTERIA model CEFIRO diving mask with metal security rim and triangular lens.

This caption does not quite match up to the illustration, which shows a rounded rectangular lens, not a triangular one.

1955

A slightly different stock number this time and the lens appears to be circular. Reference once again to a metal rim (aro metálico)

1959

Finally a Nemrod Cefiro mask with a triangular lens from a Bavilisset catalogue.

1960

The 1960 Nemrod catalogue has finally caught up! At last a triangular lens and a return to the original stock number.

1962

And we are still on track with the triangular design. Triangular mask designs were uncommon even during the 1950s when they were most in vogue. My own first diving mask was rounded triangular, a green Turnbull Sea Raider model made in Australia's most populous city Sydney in the 1950s and early 1960s:

 

[David Wilson]

I have just reviewed my last post about the Nemrod Céfiro and need to make a correction or two. First the "1950s" entry, where I now see that the original catalogue compiler miscaptioned the illustration. With a bit of cut and paste, here is what I assume to be the correct message to go with the Céfira:

1950s

Spanish: "Mod. 2058. - Lentes ASTERIA modelo CEFIRO, con aro metálico de seguridad y cristal triangular".
Rough translation: "Model 2058. - ASTERIA model CEFIRO diving mask with metal security rim and triangular lens.

So at last we have an image of a triangular mask to accompany the description.

And here is 1955, where the Céfira comes in two versions, not just one:

Spanish: "PS/2057. Lentes Asteria modelo Céfiro, con aro metálico y cristal. PS/2058 Lentes Asteria Céfiro, con aro metálico y cristal triangular".
Rough translation: "PS/2057. Asteria Céfiro with metal rim and lens. PS/2058 Asteria Céfiro with metal rim and triangular lens".

Here is the 1960 catalogue showing the same two versions:

So it looks as though stock number PS/2057 is a circular Céfiro mask, while PS/2058 is a triangular Céfiro mask. The Céfira came in two shapes.