Helmets of the Deep--Leon Lyon's book

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In 1988 Leon Lyons published a book called "Helmets of the Deep." I was an impressive book, coffee table size and about 1 & 1/2 inches thick. It is the content and the color pictures that made the book so desirable. A helmet on every page and the description was either in English, German or French.

The cost: $300.00 for the cloth bound with a dust jacket of which 900 were printed and $500.00 for the leather bound edition which 100 were printed.

As can be imagined these books have become very desireable collectors items in a very short time. Several were recently sold on E bay...
Examples:

October 3, 2006
#850-Presentation edition ---$3301.99

October 3, 2006
# not known-Presentation over run---$3750.00

October 11, 2006
#11-cloth bound---$4614.69

October 20,2006
#30-Leather bound- inscribed by Leon Lyons to J.Haliczen
sold for $5,747.99

Remember these books originally sold for $300.00 or $500.00--in 1988.

Yes I have a copy of Helmets of the deep.

#500 of 1000 books, a presentation edition, enscribed by Leon to me on 8-22-95, in two rather lenthly paragraphs.

In adition I knew all the living west coast helmet makers, Ratlief, Morgan, Kirby etc, so they also signed my book over their products.

I was also at that time a member of the founding Board of Directors of the HDS, so every member of the HDS BOD also enscribed my book.

It is a remarkable document and certainly one of a kind..

Is it for sale?--No but I suspect that some day it be sold and the proceeds will put my grand daugher through a year or two of college...

SO, there is money in good used books.

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[pearldiver]

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Leon just recently. What a remarkable man and very pleasant to talk to. I don't happen to have one of his books, but he agreed to take a gander at that 'old movie' and try and identify the helmet with the open circuit tanks on it.
I like to hear of your adventures; books and knowlege.

[pearldiver]

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Leon just recently. What a remarkable man and very pleasant to talk to. I don't happen to have one of his books, but he agreed to take a gander at that 'old movie' and try and identify the helmet with the open circuit tanks on it.
I like to hear of your adventures; books and knowlege.

[pearldiver]

I don't know how two responses appeared. But a P.S. on your note. Leon has a website to look at his helmets and such. His collection is quite massive. I hope the link works here.

http://www.vulcaniasubmarine.com/LEON%20LYONS.htm[/url]

[Scuba Cowboy]

I got to meet Leon this year in Seattle at the HDS Conference. Very nice man. I've only seen excerpts from the book, wish I had a copy. It is amasing what they've sold for.

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[quote="pearldiver"] ... Leon has a website to look at his helmets and such. His collection is quite massive. I hope the link works here.

http://www.vulcaniasubmarine.com/LEON%20LYONS.htm[/url][/quote]
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His collection is HUGE! helmets, cameras and scuba.

several years ago I suggested a detour after or befre Sand Dog to visit Leon and his museum of diving in St. Augustine--I would still stongly suggest a visit as a adjunct to the event.

By the way I can't open the above web site....

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[scubajim1]

cut and paste the link and take out the [url] at the end and it should work.

That is what I did and everything worked fine.

An amazing collection of equipment.

Scubajim1

[21]

No problem!

I have his CD which is a little longer and more detailed.

One might say that Leon is a world class collector of dive equipment!

He is also one heck of a good guy!

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[Scuba Cowboy]

I asked him how many helmets he had, he said "around 270 or so". He's got 75 pairs of boots and about 1500 knives, if memory serves. Puts my little collection to shame. Sam, if the price of his book keeps going up, you can put a couple kids through college!

[JES]

Here's the link using scubajim1's correction:

http://www.vulcaniasubmarine.com/LEON%20LYONS.htm

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[quote="Scuba Cowboy"] ..... He's got about 1500 knives, if memory serves. ...

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When I first met Leon he was just getting in to knife collecting...I had about 27, I sent him the list to see if he had them--he did -- all except the Buck "Nemo' I suspect that he now has a dozen Nemos
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Puts my little collection to shame.
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He puts every one's collection to shame--You should see his Scuba collection--Huge! His Camera Collection Huge! His book Collection Huge!

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Sam, if the price of his book keeps going up, you can put a couple kids through college!
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Probably all of them and either Yale or Harvard med school.
There are only so many books, magazines and epherma when they are gone..there is no more>


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[Scuba Cowboy]

Next years HDS Conference is back in Tarpon Springs, FL. Might be a good time to see Leon's collection up close. Are you planning to go Sam?