Item Description
Original & Replica Items. Only One Set Available. This is a phenomenally scarce Pre-WWII Mark V Diving Suit / Dry Dress manufactured by A. Schrader’s Son Inc., with a clear stenciling on the chest. As this example does not have a stamp in the rubber with a date, we believe this to predate the company’s absorption into Scovill Manufacturing Company. During World War II, all Schrader diving equipment included “A Division of Scovill Manufacturing Company”. Scovill’s purchase of Schrader occurred in December 1929, so this suit may even predate then. This set also includes the original pair of brass toe diving boots, and a replica diving helmet to complete the display!
The diving suit has a clear stenciling on the chest:
MADE IN AMERICA
GOLD MEDAL
SAN FRANCISCO 1915
A.SCHRADER’S SON INC.
NEW YORK
The rubber at the ends of each sleeve is heavily deteriorated. The rubber around the neck is cracking but is in fair shape overall. The feet are in great shape and the kneepads show good service wear. The suit definitely requires some TLC but has great potential for a display!
The boots are in absolutely fantastic condition with both thick rope laces still intact, although the end of one of the laces on one boot is splitting a bit. This is one of the most iconic pieces of the suit, and are impossible to find on their own. They are large enough for the diver to wear over their suit. The brass/bronze toes & heels are just fantastic, definitely brings the entire set together!
The group comes with a replica diving helmet which is meant to strictly be a display piece and would not work as a diving helmet. A long metal piece came off which left a shadow on the side. As far as diving helmets go, this will definitely work as a placeholder for display with the rest of the group.
This is an absolutely fantastic diver’s suit grouping, the first we have EVER offered from this period, coming ready for further research and display. Don’t miss it!
A. Schrader’s Son Company, Brooklyn, New York. Schrader started making diving helmets and related equipment in the 1840s. They fine-tuned their diving helmet design and became a major supplier to the US Navy. The company went on to be one of the major suppliers of the Mark V from 1916 till shortly after World War II. During World War II only two companies were making dive helmets for the U.S. Navy. The Mark V was used for submarine rescue and salvage work during this period. During the 1850s, August Schrader, a German immigrant, was a dealer in rubber products and supplied fittings and valves for Goodyear. In 1849, in partnership with Christian Baecher they developed a copper helmet for diving and the company evolved from there.
The earliest diving suits were made of waterproofed canvas invented by Charles Mackintosh. From the late 1800s and throughout most of the 20th century, most suits consisted of a solid sheet of rubber between layers of tan twill. Their thick vulcanized rubber collar is clamped to the corselet making the joint waterproof. The inner collar (bib) was made of the same material as the suit and pulled up inside the corselet and around the diver's neck. The space between the bib and corselet would trap most condensation and minor leakage in the helmet, keeping the diver dry. The sleeves could be fitted with integral gloves or rubber wrist seals and the suit legs ended in integral socks.
The twill was available in heavy, medium, and light grades, with the heavy having the best resistance to abrasion and puncture against rough surfaces like barnacles, rocks, and the jagged edges of wreckage. Vulnerable areas were reinforced by extra layers of fabric. Different types of dress are defined by the clamping of the collar seal to the rim of the corselet or to the joint between bonnet and corselet, and the number of bolts used for this purpose. The legs of the suit may be laced at the back to limit inflated volume, which could prevent excess gas from getting trapped in the legs and dragging an inverted diver to the surface. In normal UK commercial diving activities, the legs often did not have the lace up option.
The rubberised fabric was waterproof, as was the seal to the helmet and the cuff seals, so the diver remains dry – a big advantage during long dives – and wears sufficient clothing under the suit to keep warm depending on the water temperature and expected level of exertion. The suit was usually a very baggy fit on the diver, and if over-inflated, would be too bulky to allow the diver to reach the control valves for air supply and exhaust. This contributed to the risk of suit blowup, which could cause an uncontrollable buoyant ascent, with high risk of decompression illness. To add to this problem, a runaway ascent could cause sufficient internal pressure to burst the seal at the corselet, which could result in a loss of buoyancy, and the injured diver sinking back to the bottom in a flooded suit. Consequently, divers would ensure that they remained sufficiently negative when underwater to minimise this risk. The bulkiness of fit, weighted boots and lack of fins made swimming impracticable. At the surface the diver could struggle a short distance using the arms, but underwater would normally walk on the bottom and climb up and down over obstacles, taking care to avoid passing under anything that could foul the air hose.
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