Michael Doelle <[log in to unmask]>

> Which has me wondering if there will be any USian obit that will mention
> the fact that "U.S. Divers" is actually  a French company, a.k.a. Aqualung.

IIRC Cousteau called it that standing for "us", as in you and I,
divers but hoping that it would be taken to mean the US of A, which it
largely was. Pretty clever that.

Incidentally, Aqualung also made and marketed the Calypso camera, the
direct ancestor of the Nikonos (I to V - not the RS). Seems as if he
was none too ready and willing to disabuse people who thought that he
had invented it himself when it was actually designed by the Belgian
aircraft engineer Jean de Wouters d'Oplinter. A brilliant design it
was too, making u/w photography relatively affordable for the likes of
us mere mortal Scuba divers. The best other u/w camera of the time was
undoubtedly the twin lens RolleiMarin developed by Hans Hass back in
1952 (when Coustea and de Wouters first talked about the Calypso).
This little beauty was as expensive against the Calypso then as the RS
was against the Nik V when the RS saw the light of day.

Sorry, bitova rant over.

Cheers,

Christian
--
I haven't quite worked out the secret of life yet, but I just know it
must have something to do with lunch.