SIEBE GORMAN DIVE HELMET CA 1910 AUTHENTIC

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SIEBE GORMAN ROYAL NAVY DIVE HELMET This Fine Helmet Has Been Sold, Thank you!

DIMENSIONS OF HELMET: 19" H x 14 1/2" W WEIGHT 48 lbs

Presented is an authentic 6 bolt, 3 light Siebe.Gorman Royal Navy pattern helmet from the post WW II era . It comes from a private collection where it was for the last 12 years.

Inside air passages

Maker's tag

Nice dark patina, and dents

CONDITION and MARKINGS: A rich dark patina covers the entire bonnet and breast plate. The heavily worn and polished front tag reads Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd., Submarine Engineers, London, Patent. "Front" and "Patent" appear in two places on the front bails. The breast plate has number 13247 stamped on the inside back ring with "GT" above. The rear bails are stamped "13247", "back" and "GT". The air passages inside are intact and the relief valve works. The spit cock and front door open. There is a telephone elbow on the back with a large size hex cap marked "telephone". The front light has a large crack across the front. The side lights are in good original condition. There are numerous dents on the helmet which only add to its character.

BRIEF HISTORY: Augustus Siebe the German-born founder of the firm which bears his name (1788-1872) is considered "the father of diving". Siebe's 'closed' diving helmet, first produced in 1840, allowed divers to dive safely to greater depths than ever before. Attached to a rubber suit, it became the 'Standard Dress' that revolutionized diving and made the underwater worker an essential part of both salvage operations and civil engineering. Many of the great building projects of the Victorian era - bridges, tunnels and lighthouses still in use today - could not have been built without divers.

Siebe's design was so successful that it remained in use essentially unchanged, by the Royal Navy until 1989. Born in Saxony in 1788 and trained as a metalworker in Berlin, Siebe served in the Prussian army against Napoleon before emigrating to London in 1816. He moved into 5, Denmark Street, a four-storey house dating from the 1680s, in 1830. Located in St Giles-in-the-Fields, an area which has had a long-standing connection with the metal-working trades, the property served both as his home and his commercial premises.

Siebe manufactured his first 'closed' diving helmet in 1840. Previously, divers had relied on 'open' helmets from which spent air had to escape beneath the rim of the helmet or below the hem of the diver's rubber jacket, increasing the risk of drowning. Siebe's 'closed' helmet was bolted onto a modified diving suit based on the open helmet dress, with divers receiving air from a pump on the surface. The suit was watertight and thus safer than earlier types of diving dress. Together with special pumps designed by Siebe, it made diving to a depth of about 25 metres possible.

Siebe perfected the design of his new diving suit during the salvage operations carried out between 1840 and 1843 on the warship HMS Royal George, sunk in 1782. Following this practical experience of salvage work, his company became the known as source for the safest and best of diving systems.

Siebe's other inventions include a dial weighing machine, a paper-making machine, and a rotary water pump. In 1850, he manufactured one of the first ever ice-making machines. Siebe won numerous medals at the 1851 Great Exhibition and the 1855 Paris Exhibition, and was elected an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1856.

Siebe died at 5, Denmark St in 1872. His obituary described him as "retiring, kind of heart and honourable in all his dealings." The firm went out-of-business in 1999.

SHIPPING & PACKING: The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, is an additional charge. You may email us beforehand to get these costs. We price our shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling.

OUR GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within five days of receipt in its original condition and packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. A prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling unless we are at fault.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME, but contact us first. We have customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean.

ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT are Bank wire transfer, cashier's check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No credit cards or PayPal accepted on big ticket items.

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The 1910 SEIBE GORMAN below has been sold. Thank You!

This Interesting Helmet Has Been Sold, Thank You!

DIMENSIONS OF HELMET: 13 H x 13 W WEIGHT 40.5 lbs

Presented is an authentic 12 bolt, 3 light Siebe.Gorman helmet, circa 1910. It reportedly comes from a collection, of a well known aficionado of diving gear.

Augustus Siebe the German-born founder of the firm which bears his name (1788-1872) is considered "the father of diving". The Siebe.Gorman name is stamped one of the straps, Siebe.Gorman & Co. Ltd. London which to those knowledgeable helps dating it. "Front" appears in two places. There are air passages inside and a left side head relief valve. The spit cock is frozen. There is a telephone elbow on the back which is a later modification, but no microphone in the bonnet. It has evidence of a name plate being attached to the breast plate at one time by the placement of the remnants of two rivets and an oval outline, but no plate. The chest plate weighs 19.5 pounds, the helmet 21, for a total of 40.5 pounds. The helmet is stamped No 5781, which dates it around circa 1910, and the chest plate is No. 6416 which is in the same era.

Pictures of this helmet have been authenticated by a world renown diving expert, and author. We have a copy of a picture of Leon Lyons in the water in a helmet that is remarkably similar. You can be assured this one is the real McCoy, and is backed by our guarantee of authenticity.

A similar but newer helmet is currently being offerred on the internet for $16,500.00 (AUS $) as follows. " Siebe Gorman 3 light, 12 bolt. This helmet dates to the 1920's and are not readily available. The corselet and top have the matching numbers of 8954 while the faceplate is stamped 8967. Some minor repair work to..., $16,500.00"

OUR GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within five days of receipt in its original condition and packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. A prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling.

BRIEF HISTORY: Siebe's 'closed' diving helmet, first produced in 1840, allowed divers to dive safely to greater depths than ever before. Attached to a rubber suit, it became the 'Standard Dress' that revolutionised diving and made the underwater worker an essential part of both salvage operations and civil engineering. Many of the great building projects of the Victorian era - bridges, tunnels and lighthouses still in use today - could not have been built without divers.

Siebe's design was so successful that it remained in use essentially unchanged, by the Royal Navy until 1989. Born in Saxony in 1788 and trained as a metalworker in Berlin, Siebe served in the Prussian army against Napoleon before emigrating to London in 1816. He moved into 5, Denmark Street, a four-storey house dating from the 1680s, in 1830. Located in St Giles-in-the-Fields, an area which has had a long-standing connection with the metal-working trades, the property served both as his home and his commercial premises.

Siebe manufactured his first 'closed' diving helmet in 1840. Previously, divers had relied on 'open' helmets from which spent air had to escape beneath the rim of the helmet or below the hem of the diver's rubber jacket, increasing the risk of drowning. Siebe's 'closed' helmet was bolted onto a modified diving suit based on the open helmet dress, with divers receiving air from a pump on the surface. The suit was watertight and thus safer than earlier types of diving dress. Together with special pumps designed by Siebe, it made diving to a depth of about 25 metres possible.

Siebe perfected the design of his new diving suit during the salvage operations carried out between 1840 and 1843 on the warship HMS Royal George, sunk in 1782. Following this practical experience of salvage work, his company became the known as source for the safest and best of diving systems.

Siebe's other inventions include a dial weighing machine, a paper-making machine, and a rotary water pump. In 1850, he manufactured one of the first ever ice-making machines. Siebe won numerous medals at the 1851 Great Exhibition and the 1855 Paris Exhibition, and was elected an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1856.

Siebe died at 5, Denmark St in 1872. His obituary described him as "retiring, kind of heart and honourable in all his dealings." The firm went out-of-business in 1999.

International buyers welcome. We have customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, and the Eastern Caribbean.

Approved forms of payment are Bank wire transfer, cashier's check, money order, Western Union wire transfer, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No credit cards or PayPal accepted.