diver with Scauda helmet in Marseilles in 1993



    Here is my modest collection. I don't have too many helmets.
    Interested in diving since I was a teenager, my 1st job was with COMEX Services, the famous underwater contractor.
    Now I live in France and Switzerland sometimes.   I am a member of HDS France and the NEDEG in USA
    I found my 3 helmets in France.
    I am still looking for a Draeger 12 bolt fiberglass DM220 helmet, earlier or later versions.
    I desperately looked for a Mark V at a good price while in USA in June 2006.
    Any famous US model will do; Schrader, Morse, Desco or Miller-Dunn
    There is a nice 12-bolt Siebe Gorman helmet in Switzerland that I'd like to have...

    Swiss diver owner of a 12b Siebe and Roger, back in 1954 (106 ko)   friend's US Navy Mark V (106 ko)

    but the owner - a retired hard hat diver (see above left) - will never sell it.
    Same answer for the Scauda helmet (see top of page), the owner in Marseilles did not want to sell it back in 1993.
    Now it costs a fortune, price: between 8 and 10'000 Euros at an auction in Le Havre
    I can be reached via email at papy 50 at tiscali.fr if you wish to sell me a helmet
    (no fonie helmets please like those you can find on eB.y)
    at a reasonable price or if you have comments/questions...
    Sorry, page still under construction - I do accept your remarks.

    News

    In memoriam

    Galerne scuba diver André Galerne died on May 6, 2008 in Arizona where he retired. Mr Galerne was a pioneer in the Commercial Deep Sea Diving Industry - he founded the company SOGETRAM in France back in 1952, the first of its kind :


    Born in 1926, in Paris, France. Mr. Galerne was recruited into the French Underground Resistance to fight against the German forces occupying France during World War II. He took his first dive in 1943 using Le Prieur apparatus and worked closely with Jaques Yves Cousteau and Phillipe Taillez in the early days of Aqua-Lung development. Later he honed his engineering skills at l'Ecole Technique d'Aéronautique et de Construction Automobile. In 1952, he founded society technique General de Travaux Maritimes et Fluviaux, SOGETRAM, one of the world's first international firms providing professional diving in industrial work. Using the Aqua-Lung, and light diving helmets, Mr. Galerne's firm revolutionized the underwater industry. In 1959, he left France to start I.U.C. - Canada, in Montreal. In 1962, he emigrated to the United States where he formed THE IUC GROUP, Inc., serving as President and Chairman of the board until 1993. In 1966, Mr. Galerne began Inspectronic Corporation to service the offshore oil industry. In 1978, he formed Deep Sea International to operate marine vessels, and submersibles and ROVs for the same industry. As President of the Association of Diving Contractors (ADC), he introduced the region chapter system, modified the bylaws and articles of incorporation, and instigated the formation of Underwater Magazine.



    Leon Lyons is in the process of publishing an expanded reprint of

      HELMETS OF THE DEEP

    to be printed possibly as of Feb. 3, 2009 before the summer 2009, hopefully !
    "I am near the 300 page mark of new pages to the book, with maybe another 300 to go,
      and which hopefully goes a bit faster. So I am sure it will be 1000 pages for the new book,
      maybe more. Those 300 new pages will account for about 1300 new photos to the existing book
      of over 800 photos", he wrote Dec. 30, 2008 a few days ago.

    300 additional pages in this book will show pictures of other collectors and their helmet collections,
    some action photos and pictures of hats taken apart to show the inside area and markings.
    There will be a total of 2000 books; 1850 normal hardbound, and 150 leather bound.
    Selling prices should be as of Feb. 3, 2009 between USD 450 and 900.
    Any pre-reservations welcome here, I will transmit them directly to Leon.

    Leon said he re-opened his museum in St. Augustine.
    See the pictures he sent :


    Leon's museum (131 kb) Leon's museum (135kb) Leon Lyons' museum (134kb)



    My collection

    I have only a few helmets at the moment :

    - an Italian 12-bolt SALVAS ( 1st company in Rome to manufacture helmets starting in 1920)
      see picture below,

    - a British 12-bolt 4 light SIEBE-GORMAN helmet with shoes and suit - see below.
      Notice the unusual chrome plated name plate attached to the front of the Breast Plate
      and the uncommon 4th light; might date to approximately 1970

    - a blue Swindell hat.

    I also have a Pirelli suit given by a diver (see picture at the top) working for the last company operating in the Marseilles harbor back in 1993. They were using 12-bolt helmets from the French company SCAUDA. No chance I could buy one of the 2 helmets, the boss kept them. Now they have a value of around 10'000 EURos.

    Since I was in charge of selling a few more helmets from a friend, I acquired from him a rare COMEX bronze helmet :
    this is a modern hard hat, top shell and safety locking horsehoe out of bronze, first ever made diving helmet for commercial diving tests by the French company COMEX I worked for in the 80's; photos here and below.
    I sold it to a friend.
    my French Comex Pro (80 kb) my 12 bolt Italian Salvas (48kb) my 12 bolt 4 light Siebe Gorman
    Comex Pro (sold) my Italian Salvas my Siebe-Gorman
    12-b Siebe Gorman in Switz. NOT for sale (78kb) Russian 3 bolts (82 kb)
    a Siebe Gorman Russian (sold)

    For sale

    - A PIEL antique depth gauge, price: 390 euros (USD 480.00);

    Siebe Gorman lamp - sold (245kb) Charles PETIT hand pump on Denayrouze stand plate (58kb) Kirby Morgan Com Hat 1
    Siebe Gorman lamp Ch. Petit pump - (sold) Com Hat I - (sold)
      Shallow water helmet (96kb) Swindell (61kb)
      Lou Hammond - (sold) Swindell hat - (sold)

    Gone

    - SOLD : the rare Lou Hammond helmet : it is a one light, shallow water, cast brass diving helmet, made by Lou Hammond, Miami;
      you can see where the two halves were seamed together on this side view; and see its plaque.
      It is fully described and pictured on page 176 of the reference book by Leon G. Lyons.
      Mr. Lyons, an expert in diving helmets of the world, has published a book with almost all "hard hats" found around the world.
      His book - "Helmets of the Deep" -  370 pages, 860 color photos, 10 1/2" x 11 1/2", over 250 helmets pictured
      with texts in English, French and German is out of print. (it was sold for $287.00, leather-bound deluxe edition, $487.00)
      Photo of the Lou Hammond below.

    - SOLD : the old SIEBE-GORMAN lamp;

    - SOLD : two hand pumps
      - a Charles PETIT pump (might date to approximately 1895-1920) with a Denayrouze baseplate
      - a PIEL pump (date to 1930 or a bit later)

    - SOLD : two Siebe Gorman Diver's Knives, specially commissioned collectors pieces celebrating 175 years of
      Augustus Siebe's helmet design,

    - SOLD : a shallow water helmet

    - SOLD for less than 5000 euros : a nice French 3-bolt PIEL helmet and another PIEL recently

    - SOLD : the KirbyMorgan Com Hat I sent to Florida with UPS in June 2006. See 2 pictures of it here...

    - RESERVED : a Rouquayrol-Denayrouze pump (which might date to 1895 or before)

    - SOLD : a diver's thermometer

    - NOT FOR SALE anymore : the Swindell hat.


    Other collections : Sud Pieds Lourds

    their president with a 12 bolt Siebe (118ko) SUD PIEDS LOURDS and Daniel helped me start my collection, ...
    It is an ASSOCIATION based in the South of France whose purpose is to collect copper helmets and all related equipment, our diving heritage.
    They have a broad range of equipment: helmets, pumps, boots, suits, knives, marine items :
    - French helmets like: PIEL, PETIT, SCAUDA : 3, 6 and 12-bolt or no-bolt
    - Italian SALVAS - see picture above and GALEAZZI dating to approximately 1910-30: they are fantastic 12-bolt helmets
    - SIEBE-GORMAN (from UK) : 6 and 12-bolt, HEINKE
    - US Navy Mark V (from USA); DESCO, MORSE, SCHRADER (see on top of this page)
    - DRAEGER (from Germany), MEDI : 3-bolt helmets and a complete HAGENUK set
    - Russian helmets, common or unique pieces like the one above.

    More info about those different models at Pieds-Lourds.com - a nice French Web site about antique helmets - only in French !
    Select Casques (helmets in French) in the left frame or directly visit this link


    Some Links



A cool Animoto animation by HDS UK
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Last as of Feb. 3, 2009 update : Feb. 3, 2009