|
|
Post by shegeek on Mar 1, 2008 12:00:40 GMT -8
Hello all, Just a old Beach Bunny here, but hoping someone could provide any history on this type of goggles. Estate of a WWII vet, served in Pacific theater, looks like Koa wood, each eyepiece carved from single piece of wood, linen cord, old inner tube strap. Have seen a Popular Mechanics article on the internet, but no seams in wood that make me think these are that type of construction.    Will be ebaying, but want to get information correct. Have never had anything like this so any keyword suggestions would be welcome! Thank you kindly for any help! |
|
|
|
Post by duckbill on Mar 1, 2008 12:29:56 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by shegeek on Mar 1, 2008 12:41:01 GMT -8
Thank you for that Link!
|
|
|
|
Post by SeaRat on Mar 2, 2008 20:20:06 GMT -8
When I saw this thread, I immediately thought about the original book by Guy Gilpatric, The Complete Goggler[/B]. Unfortanately, neither Amazon nor Powell Books has a copy. I did find this site, which discusses the book: classicdivebooks.customer.netspace.net.au/oeclassics-a-gilpatric.htmlI do have some of his writing, as it is in the book Cagtain Cousteau's Underwater Treasury, Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1959. Here's a link about it: classicdivebooks.customer.netspace.net.au/oeclassics-a-cousteau.htmlUnfortunately, Gilpatric put together his first goggles out of aviator's goggles by plugging the holes. So what you have here is probably either pearl diver's goggles or Ama diver's goggles from Japan, as Duckbill said. I had heard somewhere that the first goggles were carved out of wood, and had shell for the lens. If that is what yours are, that would be very interesting. I see that they are made of wood, but wonder what kind, and whether the lens is glass, plastic or shell. I wish I knew more... John |
|
|
|
Post by JES on Mar 2, 2008 20:39:24 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by duckbill on Mar 2, 2008 22:29:45 GMT -8
Thankyou, Joe. I don't know how you did that, but thankyou. Also, if there is an easy way to explain how to have a link under different text like that, I'd sure like to learn. I mean, the url link is somehow underlying your wording, "Duckbill's Wooden Googles Image" (That's cute referring to "goggles" as "googles" ;-)
John, when you say "shell", are you sure you weren't reading that the frame was often made of turtle shell? That is what I think I remember reading. I don't know what kind of shell would be clear enough to actually see through as a lense.
|
|
|
|
Post by SeaRat on Mar 2, 2008 23:36:35 GMT -8
Duckbill,
I'm really not sure, but I had heard many, many years ago that goggles were invented in Polynesia, and brought back in WWII by US servicemen. This is a memory from probably my teenage years (50 of so years ago), so you know the accuracy of that...
...I have been looking at my references, and I think I was reading it in a National Geographic Magazine article on deep pearl diving. If so, from my National Geographic Index, it was probably this article:
Twenty Fathoms Down or Mother-of-Pearl. By Winston Williams, Photos by Bates Littlehales, The National Geographic[/B], April 1962, 512-529.
I do not currently have that magazine, but if someone out there has the National Geographic historical CD and could read the article, and perhaps reply, that would be great. There were some very interesting photos in that article of pearl divers without any aids but the goggles, actively fishing for pearl shells at 120 feet on breath-hold dives.
John
|
|
|
|
Post by Broxton Carol on Mar 3, 2008 4:55:27 GMT -8
SuperCOOL! How long will it be until DAN offers reproduction "WOODIE" goggles?  |
|
|
|
Post by shegeek on Mar 3, 2008 10:00:25 GMT -8
Thank you all for input into my query! I am in touch with a Hawaiian Wood turner, and will hopefully get a ID on the species of wood used. Glass lens, each eyepiece carved from single piece of wood, mercerized linen twine (used in net mending as it's 3x stronger wet than cotton) Rotten inner tube strap.
On the shell lenses - yes, Sea turtle shell was used -shell was steamed until very thin layers could be pealed off and used as lenses. I understand Hawkbill was used, the light amber colored area. Still hard to see through!
I don't think these are for pearl diving (Japan) as the Vet was discharged before Japan surrendered.
Again, my thanks to everyone! Will keep you updated.
Regards,
shegeek
|
|
|
|
Post by shegeek on Mar 3, 2008 10:48:07 GMT -8
Just a FYI - Old hair combs/sticks - you can see that thinner pieces of shell would be like amber lenses on ski goggles. Rather translucent.   |
|
YankDownUnder
Pro Diver
Broxton 'green label' Aqua Lung and 1954 USD Rene triple 44s.
Posts: 162
|
Post by YankDownUnder on Mar 3, 2008 12:55:48 GMT -8
The goggles you have are of a type that dates back hundreds of years and are still being made today. Alex Wickham was the first goggle diver recorded in Australia in 1917, when Sydney newspapers reported police threatened to arrest him for causing crowds to gather while he spearfished in the harbor. He was the son of a shipwrecked sailor and a Solomon Island girl.
The first goggles did not have lenses but only trapped the air. The divers fished with bamboo poles that had stingray barbs, similar to those made by Aborigines. Indonesians poach the Aboriginal Reserves off Northern Australia using goggles like those. Often it is all the diver owns, as they fish for sea cucumbers, a favorite Asian dish.
As a boy I remember watching Polynesian kids diving for coins in Fiji, thrown overboard by the ship's passengers. The lucky ones had goggles like yours. Goggle diving was popular in the Mediterranean in the 1930s and Hans Hass is depicted using them early in his career. They were made for combat use in WWII by Siebe Gorman. They continue to be made for sport swimmers today.
I look forward to your auction. You have an interesting item.
|
|
|
|
Post by shegeek on Mar 4, 2008 8:13:39 GMT -8
Well, the wood worker in Hawaii cannot say for sure if they are Milo, or Koa wood. Small size combined with grain expansion from water exposure has him stumped. Yankdownunder, interesting facts on historic and current use!
My thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and thoughts on this website. Now, I must wrap my head around the info, and write up the auction. I'll list in both vintage diving and Hawaiiana.
PS - this is a very interesting site overall - my best memory of Beach bunny is the first time I was at Hoods Canal in WA state during my friends qualifying dive. The dive master brought me a old stubby beer bottle, and when I looked inside, there was a baby Octopus! Too cool!
Thanks again!
|
|
