Nation's Attic 2024 Diving Into History
Lot 59:
This extremely well-designed and manufactured vintage homemade housing is circa 1950’s, along with the Argus C-3 camera that fits inside. It comes from a well-known private collection that is being downsized. An outstanding museum-quality housing from the pioneering days of underwater photography that is superbly engineered and designed. It drew the attention of the Historical Diving Society’s photography specialist Sid Macken, who gave it a full-page feature in the Journal of Diving History, as follows. “This homemade housing was purchased from an online auction, and nothing is known about the owner/maker, but whoever built it did an elegant job. The housing fits the Argus C-3 camera which was manufactured between 1939 and 1966 and was very popular with underwater photographers in the 1950s and early 60’s. The cylindrical design shows that the maker understood the physics of pressure. The workmanship is superb, from neatly filleted welds to graceful wooden scales on the handgrips. All in all, a very fine housing, with a touch of mystery about it. The brass bolts holding the cover to the housing, have the name of a British aircraft manufacturing firm, Airco, stamped in them. That, along with the quality of work, suggests that an aeronautical engineer or machinist may have built the housing. The do-it-yourself era of diving equipment is mostly a thing of the past, however there was a time when homemade equipment was the mainstay of underwater photography, and many of the early commercial manufacturers of underwater photographic equipment and professional underwater photographers got their feet wet while building and using homemade gear.” A unique and superbly designed and build underwater housing and its camera, with original magazine article. Please note that one of the acorn nuts is missing on the back and the view finder.
All items will be shipped with a signature required upon delivery and full insurance either via FedEx or the USPS Priority Mail. Worldwide shipping is available; however, no ocean freight will be offered on large items. DHL Express is an option for international shipments under 600 pounds via air. Payment via bank wire for customers outside the USA is required. A shipping quote prior to the auction can be provided by emailing your postal code. International bidders are advised that some countries do not allow the importation of knives. Nations Attic is not responsible for shipping charges going or coming back if your countries customs denies delivery. Rejected items can be consigned into a future sale as there are no refunds.
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