Port of Portland collection. Dive suit purchased in 1952 by the Portland Harbour Trust for the purposes of constructions and demolitions of timber and steel structures at the Port. |leant to Frank Ziegler, Dive shop.| Exhibited -|Suit worn to the ball at Sea-Bath on 13 September 1997 and wrist torn. The suit was manufactured by British company, Siebe, Gorman and Company Limited which traded until 1998. The Siebe Gorman (diving apparatus) company has traded as: A. Siebe (1819-1870); Siebe & Gorman (1870-1879); Siebe Gorman & Co (1880-1904); Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd (1905-1998). The company was established as Siebe & Gorman in 1870 at the address of 5 Denmark Street, Soho. Siebe & Gorman traded at this address until 1876 at which time they moved to larger premises at Westminster Bridge Road in Lambeth. In 1881 the company changed the name to Siebe Gorman & Co. In 1905 the company was reformed as Siebe Gorman & Co Limited by the Vickers Family.This diving suit helmet was used during the construction of Portland Harbour. It is also an example of the equipment used by pearl divers in Australian waters before the development of the wet-suit, mask, fins and self contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA).Front: Siebe Gorman-Davis type 6 (on stud). Back: (no inscriptions)port of portland archives, diving, sving suit, port of portland, portland harbour trust, frank ziegler, portland