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Presented is a unique
four light commercial diving
helmet made by A. J. Morse & Sons, Inc., which when viewed from the front,
may be mistaken for a famous Navy MK V dive helmet. It has an unusual coloration
of various shades of vibrant green verdigris over a deep underlying brown
patina. This gives it a dramatic appearance. The serial number 6014 on each of
the brails, and on the upper and lower neck ring all match and there is an
inventory control number stamped in the back of the bonnet and the breast
plate. There are numerous small
dents all over the bonnet with three significant dents across the
top.What sets this
later style commercial helmet apart from the earlier versions is that their
sidelights are rectangular and horizontal rather than standing vertical. The
side and top guards have been modified by removing the center brace which may
have been done to special order.PROVENANCE: The helmet
was sold on August 22, 1945
to C. J. Hendry Co. of San Francisco which was a ship chandler and fishing
supplier. It ended up with Oceaneering a commercial diving company with operations in the
Gulf of Mexico. The chain of ownership then went to a diver who is now deceased
who worked the oil fields of the Gulf. When Oceaneering
transitioned to the new light weight fiberglass helmets, he was given this hat
as a memento. In 1972, he passed it on to a petroleum engineer of a major oil company who is the immediate pastowner.
drop down
lock,unmarked star wheel
Like
all used diving gear, this is being sold for DISPLAY
ONLY. It should not be dived without having passed inspection by a certified
dive shop.
Bottom of breast
plate
bonnetCONDITION:
The front
door unscrews and the exhaust valve wheel turns. The air passages
are all intact, one of them has been re
soldered. The chin button is in place and functions. Field repairs were
made to stop leaking around the top light. Other soldering has wasted due to
galvanic action over the years. There are three significant dents across the top
crown and many small dents. All the ports are original
and the left side glass is a
replacement while the safety glass on the right side is showing small
bubbles. The brass screws, two bolts and one nut have been replaced. There is no
speaker.
=center>=center>
cup is positioned
correctly. Note the Drop down lock on
rightMARKINGS: The Morse
name tag reads A.J. Morse
& Son, Inc., Boston, Mass., USA, on four lines. The number 6014 appears on
both the upper and lower neck rings and on safety of all four brails. The
two front brails are stamped “front”. There is an inventory control number
09-01-030 is stamped on the back of the bonnet and the breast plate.
inventory number and
soldered field repair.BRIEF HISTORY OF MORSE DIVING: In the arena of deep sea diving, there are few
companies with the longevity and correctly Morse Diving. The company was founded
in 1837 as a Boston maker of brass ware, three years before Englishman Augustus
Siebe manufactured its first closed air dive helmet. During the Civil War, the
firm commenced building maritime fittings and began experimenting with early
underwater hardhat designs from Siebe-Gorman and other pioneering makers. In
1864, Andrew Morse bought out his partner, introduced his sons into the
business, and began to focus on creating new products for underwater salvage
expeditions. Morse was the first company to make the Navy MK V helmet, starting
production in 1916. As their expertise and experience grew over the years, they
developed a worldwide reputation as a major supplier of hardhat diving
apparatus. Morse continues in business today in Rockland, MA.
tag
Serial
numbers on upper and lower neck
ring
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