#49 • Group of Nautical Collectibles

Part of March 2025 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $550.00

Status: Sold

Category: Antiques

Three pieces of vintage nautical collectibles including a gimbal, or self-leveling, ship's compass in a brass encasing, or binnacle, with shuttering or sliding doors. The plaque on the front reading "U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships" with the ring surrounding the glass compass face numbered and dated 1916, 1942; its top has a threaded cylinder, possibly for attaching a finial or a handle. Also included is a replica U.S. Navy Mark V diving helmet, dated August 29th, 1941, mounted on an arched wooden base. It is crafted in brass and copper, showing wear commensurate with age, including patina, an indent on reverse upper area, and a few hairline fractures on the wood mount, making it slightly loose on the base. The largest item, an antique air bellows horn breathing apparatus, is by Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd, a British company developing diving and breathing equipment in the Neptune Factory of Surrey, England. The horn was created to supply fresh air using a foot pump to deep-sea diver or firefighter helmets. Attached to the pedal platform is a plaque with instructions for use; it is crafted from brass, copper, and leather attached with rivets on a wooden board. It, too, shows light overall wear commensurate with age. Approximate measurements for items are as follows: Compass: 11.5" in diameter x 13.5" tall Helmet: 17" x 15" x 21" tall Air Bellows Horn: 13" x 24" x 26.5" tall