Coolhunts: Converse Diving Suit (1of 2)
A couple weeks ago I was in Boston and I took a drive down to New Hampshire to visit my good ole friend Kevin. Kevin is a genius, a legend and a renaissance man. He owns some of the coolest toys and gadgets known to man, the funny thing is they are all just laying around in his silo & garage. I took as many pictures as I could but it still was not enough, I have to make another trip down to New Hampshire to document this mans life and his journey.
Back in 1971 The Hodgman Company hired my great friend Kevin as a design apprentice, they wanted him to design diving suits. In 1956, The Converse Rubber Company (Better known as Converse) purchased the original Hodgman Company and sold products under the Converse/Hodgman label until 1979.
Irving Mann who was Kevin’s boss at the time wanted Kevin to design experimental diving suit for guys to go down to look at the SS Andrea Doria luxury liner that had sunk off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The prototypes were also used for the Navy to check out Russia submarines that were blow up at the bottom of the ocean.
One day Kevin was putting together this suit and Irving told him instead of using the Hodgman Logo and the Osnaburg black friction foxing that goes around the gasket, use the converse foxing. Voila! The Converse branded diving suit was created! How amazing is that?
There are only 2 suits in existence, Kevin has 1 and the other one might be at the Universal Studio amusement park.
This is a great coolhunt!
To hear my friend Kevin speak about this amazing and super rare Converse exclusive piece, please click the audio player.
Maybe 1 day he will give it to me…
