Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Divers - Illustrated London News Feb 6 1873-2.PNG

 
Divers preparing to recover bodies from the wreck of the Northfleet, a major shipwreck of 1873. Of the 379 people aboard the ship, 293 died, including 41 women and 50 children, with only one woman and two children surviving. The outfits used are the standard diving dress, the basic diving equipment from its invention in 1837 until replaced by the rise of SCUBA and other modern diving outfits in the 1960's. On the left of the picture, we see one of the support crew tightening the wingnuts that connect the helmet to the canvas suits, creating a watertight seal that protects the helmet from flooding. (From the Illustrated London News of 6 February, 1873.)
Reason
Three useful illustrations: Helmet and canvas suit separate, helmet being screwed on, and a back view of the diver climbing into the water. Illustrates features of the suit not shown in any other photo or illustration of the standard diving dress we have, as well as providing a useful historical perspective. Plus, it's a really good engraving. Also, it did well in the Commons FPC, so I figgered might as well bring it up here too.
Articles this image appears in
Standard diving dress, Surface supplied diving, Professional diving, Augustus Siebe, Northfleet (ship)
Creator
Unknown 1873 engraver.

Promoted Image:Divers - Illustrated London News Feb 6 1873-2.PNG MER-C 08:58, 27 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]