Bathysphere, Circa 1929-1949

This collection contains records related to the oceanographic activities of the Department of Tropical Research staff at Bermuda from 1929 through 1939, most notably concern the bathysphere dives led by DTR Director William Beebe. These records include logbooks of notes dictated to Gloria Hollister by William Beebe via telephone from the bathysphere dives of 1930, 1931, and 1932; correspondence concerning lighting, cable, glass, and plans for the bathysphere, 1929-1930, from John H. J. Butler’s office at the marine engineering firm of Cox & Stevens, Inc.; related correspondence of William Beebe, John Tee-Van, and bathysphere inventor Otis Barton; and a short series of letters dealing with the loan of the bathysphere to the U. S. Navy, 1943-1948.

Additional data, manuscript notes, and lists documenting Bermuda marine science are also contained in the collection. Among them are trawling records for 1,607 hauls, usually noting vessel, data, station and net number of trawls, net type, location, meteorological conditions, duration and depth of haul, and fishes and plankton collected. Fish outlines and files on anatomy, coloration, eggs, and larvae document closer examination of cataloged specimens. The Bermuda Science Studies series includes notes on hauls, depth and pressure experiments, and discrete topics; land and shore observations contain bird censuses and notes.