"The Old Gentleman" in Leather and Pitch (1 Photo)

This leather suit housed in a Finnish museum is widely considered the world's oldest surviving diving suit. Affectionately nicknamed "The Old Gentleman," this 18th-century equipment allowed crew members to inspect a ship's hull without hauling the vessel ashore.



"The Old Gentleman" on display at the Raahe Museum, August 6, 2020.

The diver climbed inside through an opening in the belly section. A long leather sleeve attached to the entry port was then twisted tight, wrapped around the waist, and secured. The seams were sewn with pitch-treated thread and sealed, while the leather itself was saturated with a mixture of fat, tar, and resin.

An internal wooden frame supported the upper body. Museum experts believe air was pumped down using bellows through wooden pipes joined by flexible leather couplings. Who crafted the suit and precisely where it was used remains unknown, though its upturned toes and mittens—shaped in a style traditional to local craftspeople—strongly point to Finnish origins.

In the 1860s, Captain Johan Leufstadius donated the suit to the Raahe Museum. Over the years, it was loaned out for various exhibitions, but constant travel began taking a toll on the artifact. Eventually, the decision was made to keep the original safely at home.

In 1988, the museum built a fully functional replica named "The Young Gentleman." Crafted using period-accurate methods and materials, it was made slightly larger to accommodate a modern wearer. The replica was put to the test underwater, with its longest dive lasting 40 minutes.