 | |
| Established | 2000, opened 2005 |
|---|---|
| Location | Islamorada, Florida. |
| Type | History of underwater diving |
| Founder | Joe Bauer and Sally Bauer |
| Executive director | Lisa Mongelia[1] |
| President | Sally E. Bauer[1] |
| Chairperson | Chris Dutton[1] |
| Curator | Lynea Wilson[1] |
| Website | divingmuseum |
The History of Diving Museum is located in Islamorada, Florida which is in the Florida Keys. The museum's exhibits include a collection of vintage underwater diving equipment, a notable collection of diving helmets and various artifacts that are dedicated to the history of underwater diving.
The not-for-profit museum was founded by Joe and Sally Bauer, retired physicians. A chance purchase of a diving helmet had started their interest in diving and the ocean. They wrote scientific articles on oceanic topics, and assembled a large collection of diving artifacts. In 2000, they started turning a self-storage warehouse in Islamorada into a museum.[2][3][4][5] It opened to the public in 2005 and was in full operation the next year.[6] Joe died in 2007 and his widow Sally continued the work.[3][4]
As of 2014, the museum had 13 exhibits on diving history, beginning with a story from the 3-4 thousand year old Epic of Gilgamesh.[4][7] Diving pioneers such as Edmond Halley and Karl Heinrich Klingert are included. The museum has a large collection of diving helmets from over 20 countries.[7][8] The collection includes atmospheric diving suits such as the 1930 "Iron Mike".[7]
Sally Bauer was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2011.[5] She received the NOGI Award in 2019. The mayor of Islamorada proclaimed January 12, 2019, to be "Dr. Sally Bauer Day".[9]
The Bauers were also both founding members of the US and UK branches of the Historical Diving Society.[5]
