|
CAREERS OF DANGER AND DARING
Cleveland Moffett.
Illustrations by: Jay Hambridge and George Varian “and
others”.
Published by: The Century Co, New York in 1908.
Printed hard cover; 419 printed pages. Dimensions:
20 cms tall by 14 cms wide
The book contains details of various dangerous occupations
including that of “The Deep Sea Diver”. All the articles originally
appeared in various magazines around 1900, including “St Nicholas Magazine”,
“The New York Herald”, “Locomotive Engineer” and “McClure’s magazine”
- the author acknowledges these magazines for allowing him to publish this
book The section about the diver is quite comprehensive and
very well illustrated covering some 46 printed pages and 9
drawings and photographs plus a full page frontispiece. The diver
section is split into five chapters: “Some First Impressions of Men Who
Go Under The Sea”, “A Visit to the Burying-Ground of Wrecks”, “An Afternoon
of Story Telling on the Steam Pump Dunderberg”, “Wherein We Meet Sharks,
Alligators, and a Very Tough Problem in Wrecking” and “In Which the Author
Puts on a Diving-Suit and Goes Down to A Wreck”.
As well as the comprehensive article about the diver,
it also covers “The Steeple-Climber”, “The Balloonist”, “The Pilot”, “The
Bridge Builder”, “The Firemen”, “The Aerial Acrobat”, “The Wild Beast Tamer”,
“The Dynamite Worker”, and “The Locomotive Engineer”. The book is
extremely well illustrated throughout and is a really interesting period
read, that goes for all occupations as well as the diver. The
book is dated 1908 but I am unsure if this is the first issue as there
is a printed dedication by the author to his two little children (Annie
Enice and Cleveland Husk) which is dated August 1901. [pt] |
. |
|
|
DANGER IS THEIR BUSINESS
Marjorie and Edward Ward
Published By: Cassell and Company Ltd, London in 1955.
Hard cover with red boards and dustjacket: 191 printed
pages.
Dimensions: 20.5 cms tall by 14 cms wide.
This compilation book of “dangerous” activities includes
a 25 page article about Hans and Lotte Hass and their adventures.
As well as Hans & Lotte, it includes “Fighters of Oil Fires”, “The
Big Cats”(lion tamers), Faster than Sound (in an aeroplane), “Missionary
in Africa” and “Crashes to Order” (stuntmen). The book includes “12
pages half-tone illustrations” which includes 5 black and white photographs
of Hans & Lotte and some of the sea creatures they photographed.
[pt] |
|
HEROES AND HAZARDS
Subtitle: True stories of the careers of men who make
our modern world safe by their courage.
Margaret Norris.
Published by: The Junior Literary Guild, New York in
1932.
Hard back covers - 184 printed pages
Dimensions: 20.5 cms tall by 14 cms wide
This compilation book outlines various dangerous occupations
including the deep sea diver. In the 22 page section about the diver,
referred to as " Down in Davy Jones's Locker", the diving activities in
the firm of "Merritt Chapman and Scott" and in particular diver "Alfred
Pahlberg" who is referred to as "Dean of All Deep Sea Divers" are told.
The section is described by saying "The Dean of Deep Sea Divers Tells The
Hazards and Thrills of His Profession". In this section there are
three full page photographs. Other professions included in the book
are: "Riding the Girders" (talks with riveters, derrick men and other industrial
iron workers who help build our skyscrapers), "Smoky Joe" (An interview
with Joseph B. Martin, assistant chief of the New York Fire Department
for twenty years), "Daredevils of the big span" (True stories from the
old man and others who risked their lives during the construction of the
mightiest bridge in the world), "Engine 999" (About Charlie Hogan and Bob
Butterfield, famous engineers on the fastest trains in the world), "Why
Drown" (Captain Scully, life saver, tells the dangers and excitement of
his career) and "Sand Hogs (The danger and daring of the men who work on
under-river tunnels). The book is very well illustrated with 24 full
page monochrome photographs to illustrate the occupations. [pt] |
. |
|
|
HOW THE OTHER MAN LIVES
(Authors Not Listed)
Published by Odhams Press Ltd, London in 1949
Hard back Covers - 319 printed pages
Dimensions: 23 cms tall by 15.5 cms wide
It is impossible to scan the hard back cover but it has
a circle of five embossed heads, one of which is a diving helmet.
The book is described as "An Illustrated account of the daily lives of
28 British men and women engaged in diverse operations". The chapter
about the diver covers "Working on the Sea Bed", "Descending into the Deep",
"Salvaging a Sunken Ship", "Working in a Diving Bell", "Ascending to the
Surface" and "Risks and Remuneration". The book attempts to oulline
the working day of all occupations entered which also include Farmer, Coal
Miner, Fisherman, Engine Driver, Policeman, Nurse and many more - 28 occupations
in all. As with all of these type of books, it is extremely well illustrated
throughgout with many relevant diagrams and photographs. [pt] |
. |
|
|
HOW IT WORKS AND HOW IT'S DONE
Ellison Hawks F.R.A.S.
Published by: Odhams Press Ltd, London - reprinted 1946
Hard back covers with DJ - 384 printed pages
Dimensions: 23 cms tall by 15.5 cms wide
This book seems to tell you everything you needed to
know about various subjects including "Salvage Under The Sea". The
article on diving is very comprehensive, taking some 27 pages and having
31 monochrome photographs and diagrams. Subject matter covered includes
"Smeatons Diving Bell", "Diving Bell Equipment", "Siebe's Diving Suit",
"Supplying The Diver With Air", "How A Diver Sinks", "Fitting His Dress",
"Making The Descent", "Working on the Sea Bottom", "Working In Deep Water",
"The Recompression Chamber", "Divers Varied Work", "Blasting Submerged
Rock", "Coming to the Surface", "Salving Treasure from the Sea", "Cutting
Through a Wreck", "Deep Diving Armour", "Observation Chambers", "What A
Diver Undergoes" and "Life Half Mile Down". As well as equipment
description and use, there are deatial of how Alexander Lambert recovered
the gold from the Alphonso XII and also the recovery of the treasure from
The Egypt by the crew of the Artiglio.
Other subject matter covered in this book with similar
detail are "The Giant Power of Steam", "Bottled Energy Petrol - Diesel
and Gas Engines", "Electricity - Mans Silent Servent", "Water At Work -
Its Use and Storage", "Servants of Transport - Railways, Trams and Buses",
"Slaves of Steel - Machines that Lift and Carry", "Miracle of Flight -
How Man Grew Wings", "Clocks and Their Mechanism - How Man Measures Time",
"Number Please! - Marvels of the Modern Telephone" and "Calling All Nations
- Wonders of Wireless". The book is extremely interesting and
is well illustrated with very many monochrome diagrams and photographs
in all sections (the DJ boasts over 500) and the dustjacket features an
interesting "cut-away" diagram of Big Ben on the Houses of Parliament in
London. [pt] |
. |
|
|
LIFE
AT THE EXTREMES - THE SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL
Frances Ashcroft
University of Califormia
Press, Los Angeles, USA, 2000. ISBN 052022234-2
Hardcover, dustjacket, 326
pages, mono photographs, further reading, index. Author is British, Professor
of Physiology at Oxford.
All chapters are very interesting
and informative; the main one of interest to us is Taking the Plungs -
Life Under Pressure, covering fifty-four pages. This covers the physics
of diving of course. She writes of the Ama of Japan amongst other people
and situations.
From the fly: Life at the
Extremes is a spectacular account of the science of survival. It weaves
real-life stories with the latest scientific findings to explain what happens
to the human body under extreme conditions. What causes mountain sickness?
Why it is possible to reach the top of Everest without supplementary oxygen,
yet if your plane depressurizes at the same altitude you lose consciousness
in seconds? Why are astronauts unable to stand without fainting when they
return to Earth? Why do divers get the bends but sperm whales don't? What
causes the 'rapture of the deep'? Will men always be able to run faster
than women? Why don't penguins' feet get frostbite?
Frances Ashcroft explains
all this and more with wit and clarity. She introduces a cast of extraordinary
scientific personalities, inventors, and explorers who have charted the
limits of human survival. She recounts the scientific detective stories
involved. And she explores the remarkable adaptations that enable some
organisms to live in boiling water, acid lakes, or the middle.of rocks.
Anyone who has .ever wondered about what living things can endure will
find this book a revelation. [ps] |
|
MEN WITHOUT FEAR
John J Floherty
Published by: The Junior Literary Guild and J B Libcott
Company New York in 1940.
Hard back no DJ - 222 printed pages. Dimensions: 23.5
cms tall by 15.5 cms wide
This book contains 10 sections, each dealing with different
occupations including the diver. The section on diving is written
over 28 pages and contains 11 monochrome photographs to illustrate the
text. The author mentions being in the New York office of a large
salvage company, which I guess was "Merritt, Chapman and Scott" as they
are mentioned in the acknowledgements as well as the U S Navy. As
well as outlining the divers work, it mentions stories by US divers such
as William Lilja, Harry Remhardsen, Michael Carey, Oscar Lager and several
others are mentioned by first name only. Other sections in the book
includes "Test Pilot", "Lightship", "Red Fumes" (explosive and mining experts),
"Wires Down" (cable linemen), "Sandhog" (tunneler), "Black Gold" (Oilmen),
"Yellow Terror" (fight against yellow fever), "Harbour Patrol" (New York
City Harbour police), "News Reel Aces".
Each section is extremely well illustrated and the diving
photographs are all but one of divers at work. [pt] |
. |
|
|
THE COMPLETE
BOOK OF WATERSPORTS.
Arthur Liebers
Published by: Coward-McCann Inc, New York, USA in 1962
Hard back with dust jacket ; 232 printed pages.
Dimensions: 21.5 cms tall by 15 cms wide
The author tries in this short book to cover so much
subject matter in so small a book. In fact it says it is "An authoritive
work to all the sports and activities that offer a world of fun, pleasure
and diversion in surf, and pool, on river, lake and stream. The book
covers several water sports in all; Water Skiing, Scuba Diving, Surfing,
Swimming, Springboard Diving and various "games" by the sea or in the pool.
The scuba aspect is divided itself into 4 sections; "Skin Diving", "Scuba
Diving", "Spear Fishing" & Underwater Hunting" and Underwater Photography".
In turn, each of the four sections are sub-divided into other headings.
For example, Skin Diving; "The Face Mask", "Use of the Face Mask", "The
Snorkel", "The Swim Fins", "Some Safety Precautions", "Skill Requirement
for Skin Diving" and "The Underwater Society of America". Scuba Diving
is sub-divided into 28 sub-sections, Spearfishing and Underwater Hunting
into 6 sections while Photography is divided into 10 sections. The
book I am sure is prior to the formation of PADI as the training schemes
at the time are suggested with the YMCA. The book goes from skin
diving, using only mask, fins and snorkel to Scuba mentioning the Scott
Hydro-Pak and the Northill air lung by name as examples of equipment
The section covering diving takes some 72 pages, water skiing is 40 pages,
surfing 30 pages, competive diving (from a springboard) 8 pages, water
polo 10 pages, swimming 8 pages. The remainder is inrtoduction, bibliography,
acknowledgements and index.
Throughout, the book is extremely well illustrated with
very many monochrome photographs and diagrams
I don't think this is a "must have" for any serious diving
book collector unless you can find it very cheaply at a car boot sale (like
I did) or charity shop.
Upon investigation, it looks like the book was re-issued
ten years later in 1972, increasing its size to 253 printed pages but I
don't know if the author still covered the same subject matter. [pt] |
|
THE MARVELS OF CHEMISTRY
A T McDougal BA BSc
Published by: Sir Isaac Pitman, London in 1926.
Illustrated hard cover with 208 printed pages
Dimensions: 18.5 cms tall by 12.5 cms wide.
One of a series of five books written by the author aimed
as a school science book. Despite the diver shown on the cover, the book
contains virtually no diving content with the exception of the print reproduced
under the section on Acetylene and its use for underwater cutting and welding.
Extremely well illustrated as you would expect from a school text book
but a shame there isn't more diving content. |
|
THE NORTH ATLANTIC RUN
John Maxtone-Graham. Forword by Walter Lord.
Cassell & Co,. Ltd. London. 1972.
Hardcover, dustjacket, 434 pages, many mono prints.
This exceptional book covers the ships, shipping companies
and builders, and the passengers on the run between New York and England,
and mainland Europe during the late 19th and early to late-mid 20th century.
It is a great read, extremely informative of the ships and the men who
literally drove them, and their passengers. There is just the one mention
of diving. In 1911, the huge liner Olympic (sister to the Titanic), was
rammed by H.M.S. Hawke, which sliced into her, opening up part of her hull.
The following is the extract from the book:
In September of that same year, the Olympic was involved
in a freak accident, the first of three notable collisions in her long
career. This one was with the Royal Navy cruiser H.M.S. Hawke and occurred
in the Solent at the start of her fifth voyage. It was one of those incredible
convergences, in full daylight on a calm sea within sight of land, where
two normally operated vessels steamed blithely to a point of impact as
though mesmerized. A court of inquiry later decided against the White Star
Line, completely absolving the cruiser's commander. I personally find it
strange that a vessel whose bow has pierced the flank of another can retire
from the scene of the collision totally free of guilt; however, Royal Navy
experts put the blame on powerful forces of suction exerted by the larger
ship and chose to ignore the admission that the Hawke's steering gear was
jammed seconds before the accident.
The image shows divers preparing to inspect the hull. |
|
|
|
THE PICTORIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Published by: Sampson, Low, Marsden Co Ltd London c1950.
Hard covers with dustjacket; 237 printed
pages. Dimensions: 28.5 cms tall by 22 cms wide.
This 1950's children's encyclopaedia contains a two page
section entitled "Deep Diving". All it contains are two excellent
diving prints but not a lot of explanation. One of the prints is
a coloured representation of all many diving activities done by a "deep
sea diver", it very much resembles the pull out in the front of Sir Robert
Davis's book, "Deep Diving and Submarine Operations" - but this is in glorious
colour. Divers are shown doing salvage, underwater cutting, performing
mine clearance, on WWII charriots, using scuba etc. Not surprisingly,
the encyclopaedia does acknowledge the help of Siebe Gorman & Co Ltd.
The second print shows a diver being dressed and all of the items that
it takes for a standard diver to get into the water. [pt] |
. |
|
|
THIS IS AUSTRALIA
Produced and edited by Oswald L. Seigler. Gotham (A/Sia)
Pty Ltd., Sydney, 1946.
Large format, hardcover, 400 pages, many photographs.
May have had a dust jacket.
A general publication for the patriotic public and to
promote Australia overseas no doubt. One small section is on 'fisheries'
which included whaling, and pearl shell gathering, hence the single photograph
of a diver in standard dress. There os no text of any interest, and no
specific caption other than 'collecting pearl shell' - maybe in the Torres
Islands or Broome. [ps] |
|
|
|
WIDE WORLD ADVENTURE ILLUSTRATED
Contains various short stories from different authors
Published by: George Newnes Ltd, London early
1900’s.
Hard illustrated covers; 255 printed pages
Dimensions: 19 cms tall by 12 cms wide
This book is made up of the best short stories taken
from the monthly magazine called “Wide World Magazine”, which I believe
started being published around 1898. This particular one has an illustration
of a diver on the spine in direct reference to one of its stories “The
Peril of Seaman Diver Young”. It is a 16 page illustrated article
about a British Royal Navy diver getting into problems on a routine dive
aboard HMS Hood in Suda Bay (Crete) in 1896. He was sent to retrieve
a torpedo after a test fire but gets into all sorts of trouble entangling
his life line and hose and this is the story of the incident and his subsequent
rescue after something like 4 hours trapped underwater. It is a really
amusing and enthralling tale. Other short stories: “A Fight With
a Wolf on the Alter”, “In The Flooded Cave”, “Captured by Cannibals”, “A
Night to Remember”, “The Professor in the Bear Trap”, “In the Clutches
of Brigands”, “Out of the Lions Jaws”, “My Klondike Mission”, “The Peril
of Seaman Diver Young”, “A Martyr to Science”, “In Search of my Goddess”
and “The Terrible Adventure of Emil Habl”.
The article is illustrated with nine monochrome photographs
and shaded diagrams, one is a photograph of Diver Young himself.
The actual article actually appeared in and individual “Wide World Magazine”
in May 1899 and contains a lot more diagrams and photographs – it took
me years to find! [pt]
See also below - The World Wide Magazine. |
|
|
|
(THE) WORLD WIDE MAGAZINE
Bound copy of: An Illustrated Monthly of True Narrative:
Adventure, Travel, Cuistoms and Sport.
'Truth is Stranger than Fiction".
Published by George Newnes Ltd., Southampton Street,
Strand, London.
This particular bound edition is designated as Vol 1,
and covers the magazines published from April to September 1898.
Hardcover, gold embossed boards; 677 pages, many photographs
(surprisingly well produced), and many pen and ink drawings.
A;though published well over one hundred years ago, the
bound magazines provcide exceptional reading. The travel section is particularly
of interest as it frequently concerns sojourns to Asia where 'remarkable
deeds', and 'horrific occurances' occur, all of fascinated interest to
the lounge-chair reader back home in safe Eng;land. There are a number
of shipwrck stories, and of particular interest is the wreck of the German
warship Adler, lost in a famous hurricane in 1889, in Samoa. The
wreck is still there - under a soccer field.
There are just two articles of interest to
divers - One five page article is called In The Ocean Depths - Some Reminiscences
of a Diver - by John Pearce of Whitstable. Subheaded - Relating incidents
in the loing career of a "deep-sea" man. Strange sights and queer adventures
in wrecked vessels at the bottom of the sea. Narrow escapes whilst salving
treasure.He worked on the ill-fated Australia-run steamship London,
amongst other ships. Of the treasures, a 'hunting-knife' was valued at
seven thousands pounds - it was made of silver and diamonds.
The other reference to diving is a short paragraph and
photograph of Angel Erostarbe, 'who holds the record for deep-sea diving'.
The following is the short extract from the magazine:
It is the record deep-sea diver who is shown
in the next photo., and he recovered a great quantity of treasure—silver
bars, to be recise- after five and a half years' immersion
at the bottom of the sea. The ship was the s.s. Skyro,
sunk in April, 1891, off Cape Finisterre, in
180 ft. of water. Her total cargo was valued at 30,000 (British
pounds). She struck the Mexiddo reef, and passed over it, and
then went down in deep
water two miles off the coast. The diver himself is a young Spaniard
of splendid physique, named Angel Erostarbe,
and,
astonishing to relate, he had never before acted
in this capacity. After a
few descents he recovered 20,000 dollars worth of silver, remaining below
on the average from fifteen to twenty minutes each time. Altogether
he made forty-four descents, notwithstanding that
the air and water pressure at so tremendous a depth
was 73 lb to the square inch. |
John Pearce. |
Angel Erostarbe. |
|
|
WONDERS OF LAND AND SEA
Edited by: Graems Williams F. R. G. S.
Published by: Cassell and Company, London in 1914.
Hard printed covers in 2 volumes - 999 printed pages
Dimensions: 28.5 cms tall by 20 cms wide
As the title suggests, this two volume set seems to try
to cover every subject under the sun on land and sea. Volume 1 is
broken down into five sections: "On the Land", "In the Underworld", "On
The Sea", "In the Depths" and "Man and Progress" while volume 2 is similarly
divided into a further five sections, each with the same section title
as within volume 1. In turn, each section is further sub-divided
into "Natural" and "Artificial" sub-sections and they are divided into
chapters of subject matter. The sections "On the Sea" in both volumes
has many varied subjects covering many subjects including diving, salvage,
submarines and shipping, mainly under the "Artificial" sub-section.
Subject titles include "Full Fathom Five", "The Periscope", "Our Mastery
of the Depths", "Life-Saving Bells", "The Lifeboat of the Submarine", "Harvesting
the Sea", "The Romance of the Channel Tunnel", "The Deadly Fish of War",
"The Wonders of Salvage", "Submarine Cables" and Submarine Mines and Their
Work". In addition, there is a lot of interesting articles under
the "Natural" section, for example "Tragedy's Fairest Temple" about pearl
diving and fishing while another entitled "Nature's Order of the Bath"
covers sponge diving and fishing. There is also a wealth of subject
matter not mentioned - far too much to list here. Both volumes are
very well illustrated with 33 full page colour prints and countless monochrome
plates, photos and diagrams of all discriptions. The green hard covers
depict an erupting volcano while the text on the covers and spine is in
gold leaf - both spines also show the gold outline of a moth. A very
interesting book touching on very many diverse subjects. [pt].
Additional notes from PT: There are so many plates in
this book, which do I choose I say!. You should recognise G H Davis's
print of submarine escape, the pearl fishing and the captain sat
at his periscope in a submarine. Both the latter feature in Thomas
Corbins books "The Romance of Submarine Engineering" and "The Wonders of
the Submarine". In "The Romance of Submarine Engineering", the spine
detail is taken from the submarine escape print while the periscope print
is featured inside. The Wonders of the Submarine has the periscope
print on the spine and the escape on the front cover - both appear inside.
... |