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Image / Otis Barton in the Benthoscope, with Dr. Maurice Nelles

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Title
Otis Barton in the Benthoscope, with Dr. Maurice Nelles
Creator
Unknown
Contributor
Allan Hancock College
Date Created and/or Issued
1949
Contributing Institution
Black Gold Cooperative Library System
Collection
Hancock Collection
Rights Information
Allan Hancock College
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Description
Photograph taken off Santa Cruz Island, California in 1949 is an image of Otis Barton inside the Benthoscope, talking with Dr. Maurice Nelles. Barton designed the Benthoscope, a 7,000 pound steel sphere, to be able to safely carry an observer as deep as 6,500 feet beneath the ocean. He had hoped to at least double the record of 3,028 feet set by Dr. William Beebe in 1934. The Benthoscope was tested and modified at Hancock College of Aeronautics in Santa Maria, and its record-breaking dive in 1949 was carried out in cooperation with the Allan Hancock Foundation's research vessel, Velero IV. Unfortunately, the lights failed at 4,500 feet, and Barton decided not to press on to his goal. The lessons learned from this dive led to the development of the Benthograph automated deep-sea camera.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph : colored ; 7 1/2 x 9 1/4 in.
Identifier
http://www.luna.blackgold.org/luna/servlet/detail/blackgold~10~10~41~1770
http://blackgold.lunaimaging.com:80/MediaManager/srvr?mediafile=/Size2/blackgold~10~10/64/064.jpg
Language
English
Subject
Pacific Ocean--Description and travel
Allan Hancock Foundation
Marine biology--Research--California
Underwater exploration--California

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