1965 Blondel La Rougery Pictorial Scuba Diving Map of the Mediterranean Sea

A large, scarce 1965 Blondel La Rougery bathymetric pictorial map of the Mediterranean Sea celebrating the nascent scuba craze and detailing regional diving schools and sites.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces the Mediterranean Basin. Color shading indicates sea depth, while more detailed soundings are provided near coastlines. Diving schools, including those managed by the Club Méditerranée (Club Med) are noted, along with locations of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques and agents of La Spirotechnique, a division of the firm Air Liquide which sold regulators and other diving equipment, including a revolutionary regulator co-designed by Jacques Cousteau. Finally, the locations of ancient and modern shipwrecks are marked, for any diver curious to explore them. Surrounding the map are illustrations of sea creatures, shipwrecks, and marine flora.

Making Diving Accessible

Prior to the Second World War, diving was very difficult and highly dangerous, hardly the stuff for tourists and casual swimmers. But new inventions (such as the Cousteau-Gagnan regulator), businesses, and organizations made the sport much more accessible in the postwar period. Diving took off on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1950s and by the 1960s was an established subculture within the world of maritime sport and recreation.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn and published by the firm Blondel La Rougery in 1965, with assistance from Studio P.I.T. This is the only known example in private hands. We note one institutional holding at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.