Some ol books

[John C. Ratliff]

Sam,

Thank you for the tips on maintaining the books. Please note that most were damaged before I found them though. The Blue Continent did not have a cover when I picked it up discarded from the Corvallis Public Library many years ago.

I do have a copy of Hans Hass' book, We Come From The Sea which needs, badly, the kind of care you describe. I will get on it this coming week.

This is the front cover, which unfortunately has been torn.

Here is the back cover. I need to get protection that will allow the cover to be together. Any ideas--I don't like Scotch Tape, so that's out.


Again, I appreciate this kind of input.

SeaRat

 

[Sam Miller III]

John C --and all the other diving bibliophiles....

Never ever use Scotch tape !

Never apply any tape or substance to the out side of the front cover !

You need acid free tape....

The cheapest and most universally available acid repair tape can be obtained at the US Post Office on the margins of the stamp sheets..

Check out the sheets of 5 or 10 cent stamps (or what ever denomination you like) for those sheets who did not have colored borders--the borders must be plain white to avoid color transfer. Purchase a sheet or two of stamps... Use the stamps to pay house hold bills used the acid free white borders to repair the dust jackets (DJ) from the inside of the cover.

The repair procedure is as follows;
~1) Clean DJ using a fast swiping of plain rubbing alcohol---Do not rub--

~~2) Allow to dry--I allow it to dry over night

~~~3) Spread the DJ upside down on a smooth surface

~~~~4) Using appropriate instruments and tools piece together and approximate the loose portions of the DJ

~~~~~5) Secure the lose pieces with the USPO margin scraps

~~~~~~6) Place in a Broadart protective cover

~~~~~~~7) Some times is necessary to secure the bitter ends of the cover together using USPO tape

 

[David Wilson]

I have a small library of diving books, a little over 200 titles, assembled over five decades. They are a representative mix of publications relating to scuba and breath-hold diving dating from the period between the pioneering days of the early 1950s and the early 1980s, some biographical, some instructional, some in languages other than English (French, German, Italian). Most were purchased second-hand after scouring the water sports section of dusty used book stores both in Britain and in early-1980s California. Latterly but pre-Internet, I employed mail-order specialist diving book services such as David Way's in the UK to build up my collection. The World Wide Web is now an excellent retail source of used diving books, e.g. Classic Dive Books, based in Australia:

CLASSIC DIVING BOOKS

Selecting one book from this collection to recommend to others is extremely difficult, because by definition each book is a favourite. However, if compelled, I think my choice would fall on Your Guide to Underwater Adventure by Peter Small:

The dust jacket on my first-edition copy (1957) has the following blurb:

This is a book for the serious beginner, going into careful details of equipment and technique, and explaining the Why as well as the How of things whenever possible. "I have tried," says Peter Small, "to write the sort of book which I would like to have read when I first felt the urge to take up underwater swimming." Do's and Don'ts of choosing equipment - and approximate prices - are examined and the steps in training are followed stage by stage. The author also describes some of the interesting things that can be done underwater, including photography, surveying, and archaeological exploration, and concludes with useful appendices giving details of where cylinders can be re-charged, holiday and training centres, a book list and films that are available for hire.

Peter Small was one of the founder members of the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) - see Wikipedia's BSAC article for more details. It is especially poignant that five years after the publication of his book, this British journalist and diving pioneer died while helping Swiss scientist Hannes Keller establish a world diving depth record in 1962. The book is a real gem, full of wise advice, references to contemporary equipment by brand and model, simple line drawings of gear and snorkelling techniques. One photograph, which I have scanned and reproduced below, sums up his vision of diving:

It's a picture of a mid-1950s British family snorkelling at the seaside somewhere in the UK, hardly the standard picture found in most modern diving books, where the reader is more likely to be regaled with images of well-toned beauties, draped in the most elaborate, expensive and colourful equipment on sale, scuba-diving in some tropical paradise. Just in case the picture's caption isn't clear, it reads "If underwater swimming is not fun, it's not anything". A simple message for a modern age when diving sometimes strikes me as an over-priced, over-engineered and over-specialised pursuit. When I purchased it in my early teens, Peter Small's 119-page tome helped me fall in love with snorkelling, which has become a lifelong passion for me. I owe the author a big debt of gratitude.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I use to do business with David Wray, matter of fact I have a mint copy of his Spear fishing book which he so graciously signed.

What ever happened to Reg Valentine? For some time he was very active in UK bibliophilia, matter of fact he also hosted an afternoon bibliophile meeting about the same time I organized my two day affair.

There is another UK book which also describes the the death of Peter's wife three weeks after the Catalina dive...I have it but can't recall it's name and don't feel like searching for it.

I was on my boat anchored about 100 yards away the day of the Catalina dive in the early
1960s--what a mess! Took the lives if two of your country men, Peter and Christopher ?

So that dive cost three lives!

 

[Sam Miller III]

There are so many sources for the information you are requesting--too numerous to individually list and describe. I will take a few moments to list some of my many magazines, books, ephemera, and files. Frankly I just do not have the time or desire to do as others and photograph, describe contents and extract passages from individual books and other sources.

Until recently I have not made public my collection which was began in 1948 and to this date is still in progress. This is one of the first times I have ever shared the content of my collection with any one.

I shared my collection one time with a Frenchman and his American wife for "research." After their departure I noted a number of spear guns, books, (several in French) selected Ephemera, my grandchildren's pellet gun, wife Betty's fish cook books as well as her fins mask and snorkel was and still are missing. I not accusing the couple but who ever acquired the items while they were visiting certainly didn't know dive history. So no I do not and will not allow it to be used for individual "research"

I began my collection after viewing the Hass movie "Under the Red Sea" in the 1940s, a short time later a classmate Ray Murphy who knew I was a "goggler" gave me a copy of the 1948 "First of the menfish," the rest is history. It
.

The listing that follows is from my personal collection of diving books, magazines and ephemera which is recognized by the world's serious diving bibliophiles as the most complete private collection in the world.

I have a complete bound set of "Skin Diver" magazine (1951 to it's demise) including most every diving equipment catalog published and all San Diego and Los Angeles 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), John Steel and numerous others. Also by movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Tony Francioso, Singer ,John Gary and Dawn Adams.

All of artist John Steel SDM covers have been inscribed to me (I also one of the few own several of his pictures (3))

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 considered the largest and most complete set of civilian dive training manuals begriming with the Spaco manual of 1949 to those published 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 also have sir Robert Davis books "Deep diving and submarine medicine"

I also maintain a bound collection of all the National Geographic Magazines devoted to diving from the January 1927 (First NatGeo UW photographs) to present

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). I had dedicated columns in Discover Diving, Arizona Diving news, Southwest Diver and Historical Diver

From 1999 to 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 in Scuba Pro Diving and Snorkeling magazine.

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, David Wray, Bill Royal, John Reseck Jr., Dr. James Dugan, Clint Degn, John D. Craig, Dick Schroeder, Zale Parry, two (2) Dr Al Tillman, two (2) Eugenie Clark, two (2) by Bill Barada, two (2) 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 involvement in the diving industry
Guy Gilpatric, his books and his life and death.
And several other files in progress

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 a two day affair that 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

 

[David Wilson]

I use to do business with David Wray, matter of fact I have a mint copy of his Spear fishing book which he so graciously signed. I was on my boat anchored about 100 yards away the day of the Catalina dive in the early 1960s--what a mess! Took the lives if two of your country men, Peter and Christopher ? So that dive cost three lives!

I have a copy of David Way's book too, unsigned though. He was scrupulous in his business dealings. I remember ordering an early 1960s Lillywhites catalogue which got lost in the post. It cost more than the maximum compensation the postal service was prepared to pay and David insisted on repaying me the full amount.

British divers Peter Small and Chris Whittaker's deaths were indeed a tragedy, although Hannes Keller survived. Amazing that you were in the vicinity at the time. The closest I've been to a similar catastrophe was a trip I and a group of secondary school friends made on 4 January 1967 to meet Donald Campbell in his speedboat Bluebird at Coniston Water in the Lake District in the North West of England. Campbell was the holder of world land and water speed records and died on that very day while trying to break his own record. We never reached Coniston Water because the police had set up road blocks in the area after the incident. There were lots of rumours and counter-rumours when we talked to the local people, trying to find out what was happening. I guess that confusion follows all natural or man-made catastrophes.

By the way, doesn't your latest message on this thread belong with your contribution to the "Book or other reference suggestions?" thread in the "History of Diving Museum" sub-forum?

 

[Sam Miller III]

British divers Peter Small and Chris Whittaker's deaths were indeed a tragedy, although Hannes Keller survived. Amazing that you were in the vicinity at the time.

>>>It was a circus! Quite a few private boats were in the area...We all were friends of many on the mother boat..




The closest I've been to a similar catastrophe was a trip I and a group of secondary school friends made on 4 January 1967 to meet Donald Campbell in his speedboat Bluebird

>>>I recall Donald Cambell event..It was all over the American news papers and moving picure news


>>> By the way, doesn't your latest message on this thread belong with your contribution to the "Book or other reference suggestions?" thread in the "History of Diving Museum" sub-forum?

I don't know where it should be...and to quote Clark Gable in that American Classic Movie"Frankly my dear I don't give a Damn"

Once again what about Reg Valentine? we hear nothing of him..

sdm

 

[DaleC]

Here's another very old book from my library, Philippe Diole's first book on diving, The Undersea Adventure, Copyright 1953.
Dale, I didn't know about the other Diole book that you have, [I[4000 Years Under the Sea[/I]. That sounds interesting too.
SeaRat

That was the book I was looking for when I found the "4000" edition.

I've been away diving for a week but thanks everyone for the excellent replies; it was how I had hoped the thread would progress.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Diole books

I have four different editions of Diole books. however The last Book listed below "Underwater Exploration" was printed and distributed in England and Canada and not the US.
The books are as follows;

1) "Undersea adventure,"
a) -Messner NYC, 1953--236 pages HC w Jacket
DJ has a picture of a diver in SCUBA gear
b) -Grosset& Dunlap,, NYC 1953-236 pages HC w Jacket
DJ has a painting of a diver with a spring gun ( type of spear gun,) a variety of fish surrounding the diver and a Octopus in the foreground

* Book covers on those two books are identical. I suspect that the pictorial DJ was the last issue. The publishing rights and/or the plates to the book was possible acquired by G&D was reissued with the pictorial cover to attract attention and create point of sale activity

2) "4000 years under the sea" -Messner, NYC 1954, 237 Pages, HC w Jacket

3) "The gates to the sea" -Messner, NYC 1955, from the original 1953, 176 pages, HC w Jacket

4) "Underwater exploration," 1955, , published by Elek books printed byJarrods, London, 118 pages HC w Jacket


Sam Miller

 

[Sam Miller III]

DaleC,

I also note that two of your books have different covers than those in my collection'

4000 years under the sea...my edition has a rather dark cover abd displays a lady diver ascending with a Amphorae in her hand

Silent World ... I have a collection of the SW from though out the world, none have the same cover as yours.

Could it be that your editions are Canadian?

Could you list the Publisher, date, etc as well as a ISBN number so we can compare?

SDM