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Curator’s choice: Standard diving dress

Photo of the diving suit on display in the Museum's Tidal Zone.

Standard diving dress is a type of diving suit that was formerly used for all underwater work, now largely superseded by lighter and more comfortable equipment. The diving suit on display at the museum was made by Siebe Gorman. It is made from heavy canvas, lead soled shoes (14lbs) a copper helmet, and a lead breast place (28lbs). This suit saw service with the Liverpool Dock Authority from late in the Second World War until c. 1955.

You’ll find this diving suit down in our Tidal Zone, which is under the sea.

In our latest edition of our journal Fathom, Julia Byrne and James Saunders, students at Falmouth University write and illustrate their creatives responses to the stories inspired by this object in our collection. These pieces help us see the collections afresh and inspire us to speculate about the fascinating lives these objects led before they found their way to us.

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National Maritime Museum
Cornwall Trust
Discovery Quay
Falmouth
Cornwall
TR11 3QY

Tel: +44(0)1326 313388

Email: enquiries@nmmc.co.uk