Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 87 years of Exploration
Our Tribute to Jacques-Yves Cousteau
The door to the private suite in the American Museum of Television and Radio in New York City opened and there he was. He looked frail, his trademark white hair whiter than we remembered from TV. And he looked small, smaller than we thought. Jacques Cousteau certainly looked his age. Suddenly, his face broke into the famous smile, his eyes warm with friendliness, and his hands extended towards us. We had finally met the man whose exploits we had followed so closely since childhood.
Jacques Cousteau was born June 11, 1910 in a small town called St.-Andre’-de-Cubzac, which is north of Bordeaux in France. Cousteau always had a fascination with the sea and with the art of film making and it would be these two interests that would shape his life forever. He began a production company at the age of 16 which produced numerous films, often with Cousteau himself playing the part of the villain in these silent pictures. He joined the French Navy in 1930 because of his “love for water and desire to travel and see the world.” However, in 1935, a serious automobile accident left him partially paralyzed without the use of his arms. After 8 months of intensive therapy, Cousteau regained the mobility in his arms and he began to focus his attention on the underwater world.
In 1936, Cousteau pioneered the use of waterproof housings for movie cameras and he shot his first underwater film. It was in 1943, though, that Cousteau made what many consider to be his greatest contribution to the effort of underwater exploration. Working with Emile Gagnon, Cousteau developed the first SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) regulator and, suddenly, mankind was free to “stay longer, go deeper” and capture on film what he saw. For generations to come, the Oceans would now be accessible to many and the sport of SCUBA diving was born.
In 1950, the next step in Cousteau’s dream was fulfilled when he acquired the Calypso, a former minesweeper, and converted her to an oceanographic vessel dedicated to exploring the ocean for scientific purposes. The Calypso would faithfully serve Cousteau for 46 years, until she would sink in a boating accident in Singapore Harbor early in 1996. Calypso’s maiden voyage, however, in 1950 would take Cousteau to the Red Sea to study Coral Reefs.
The door to the private suite in the American Museum of Television and Radio in New York City opened and there he was. He looked frail, his trademark white hair whiter than we remembered from TV. And he looked small, smaller than we thought. Jacques Cousteau certainly looked his age. Suddenly, his face broke into the famous smile, his eyes warm with friendliness, and his hands extended towards us. We had finally met the man whose exploits we had followed so closely since childhood.Jacques Cousteau was born June 11, 1910 in a small town called St.-Andre’-de-Cubzac, which is north of Bordeaux in France. Cousteau always had a fascination with the sea and with the art of film making and it would be these two interests that would shape his life forever. He began a production company at the age of 16 which produced numerous films, often with Cousteau himself playing the part of the villain in these silent pictures. He joined the French Navy in 1930 because of his “love for water and desire to travel and see the world.” However, in 1935, a serious automobile accident left him partially paralyzed without the use of his arms. After 8 months of intensive therapy, Cousteau regained the mobility in his arms and he began to focus his attention on the underwater world.
In 1936, Cousteau pioneered the use of waterproof housings for movie cameras and he shot his first underwater film. It was in 1943, though, that Cousteau made what many consider to be his greatest contribution to the effort of underwater exploration. Working with Emile Gagnon, Cousteau developed the first SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) regulator and, suddenly, mankind was free to “stay longer, go deeper” and capture on film what he saw. For generations to come, the Oceans would now be accessible to many and the sport of SCUBA diving was born.
In 1950, the next step in Cousteau’s dream was fulfilled when he acquired the Calypso, a former minesweeper, and converted her to an oceanographic vessel dedicated to exploring the ocean for scientific purposes. The Calypso would faithfully serve Cousteau for 46 years, until she would sink in a boating accident in Singapore Harbor early in 1996. Calypso’s maiden voyage, however, in 1950 would take Cousteau to the Red Sea to study Coral Reefs.
The 1958 Aqua-Lung
Emile Gagnon
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Trademark 1943 Aqua-Lung / 1953 U S Divers Co
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