Last Updated on November 17, 2021 by Dan
If diving can be considered as ‘art’, then diving posters are its masterpieces. There’s something about the bright and vibrant colors and unique designs of diving posters that capture our imagination, making us dream of more undersea adventures. They make great gifts as they are usually priced between $15-30 each.
Most scuba diving poster art has a vintage feel, and it is no surprise considering they were mostly printed in the early 20th century. Here we present some of the most memorable diving creations from around the world:
Modern
- Scuba Diving Knowledge, suitable for PADI Open Water Exam. Find the poster on eBay here.
- Scuba Diving Knowledge, suitable for PADI Open Water Exam. Find the poster on eBay here.
- Everything Will Kill You So Choose Something Fun – a shark poster with a vintage feel. Find the poster on eBay here.
- Everything Will Kill You So Choose Something Fun – a fun poster with a vintage feel. Find the poster on eBay here.
- And Into the Ocean I Go.. Several variations online with different girls. Find the poster on eBay here.
- Diving Dog posters come with different breeds and look great on your wall. Find the poster on eBay here.
Browse popular vintage diving posters on eBay.com
Famous Vintage Diving Posters
7) Robert Burleigh – Diver at Work (1920s) – This poster by Robert Burleigh shows an underwater worker who seems to be repairing something on a boat or submarine (you can’t really tell). The workman holds the tools he uses for his job up high over his head. The diving suit is bright yellow with red detail, and the helmet has several different color hues. There are bubbles all around him, which give you a sense of depth.
8) Boussac – Diving Girl (1927) – This diving poster by French artist Jules-Charles Le Bozec features a beautiful diving girl emerging from the deep blue sea. She carries two white umbrellas that seem to be used as diving flotation devices. While she emerges like Aphrodite at her birth (from the sea foam), there is something dangerous about this scene, thanks to the large shark behind her.
9) Léopold Chauveau – Diver in Danger (circa 1910) – This diving poster, designed by French artist Léopold Chauveau , shows a diving man who is in deep trouble. His diving suit has smashed against the wall of the sea, and he seems to be stuck under water. There are people on boat watching him, but they seem far more interested in his diving helmet than the diver himself. The diving helmet takes up most of the poster space, while the human figure is small and its movements limited due to pressure under water.
10) Merson – Diving Woman (1910s) – This diving woman poster by French artist André Edouard Marty features one of the world’s first female divers. She holds onto her diving helmet while descending into the depths below. The red bubbles above her head are used to depict water pressure. While diving suits were invented in the 18th century, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that female divers started wearing diving dresses.
11) Jean-Charles Brun – Diver with Shark (1914) – This diving poster features one of the most dangerous creatures of the sea: a shark. The diving man is relaxed and relaxed, while his hands are placed casually on top of his helmet. The shark seems to be there just for fun, though he looks dangerously close to the diver’s leg. According to legend, sharks can smell a drop of blood from 3 miles away so you wouldn’t want to have an accident…
12) Jules Charlesneuil – Diving Girl (1920s) – This diving poster by Jules Charlesneuil is much less dramatic than some of the others. The diving girl and her diving suit are bright and colorful, and she seems to be enjoying herself as she dives into the water below. Bubbles rise from her diving helmet, adding an element of mystery about what lies beneath the sea.
13) Émile Henry-Jacques – French Jolly Diver (1895) – Known as a French jolly diver (or périscope), this diving man was used both as a decorative piece for ships’ interiors and as a diving mask with glass eyes which let you see underwater without any additional equipment. The early diving masks were not made to be submerged in water so diving men would often use diving bells to work underwater. Not exactly the most original diving equipment, but it did mean artists could use diving suits as a blank canvass for their art.
14) Elly Petit – Underwater (1920s) – This diving poster by Elly Petit shows what looks like an underwater scene on land. A girl is lying down on her side, while another woman floats in the water above her head. There are bubbles rising from both of them, which suggests they are breathing air under water (which might not make any sense at all). The diving helmet features several unique designs and there is lovely shading around the figure’s bodies too.
15) Jean-Charles Brun – Diver with Seahorses (1907) – This diving poster, by French artist Jean-Charles Brun , features several seahorses. The diving man has no diving helmet on his head; instead he seems to be using two diving ropes for flotation while he takes a break with some marine friends. The seahorses are clearly not natural (look at the way their tails are shaped), but they act like real animals in this poster.
16) Émile Henry-Jacques – Diver under Jellyfish (1895) – This diving poster by Émile Henry-Jacques shows one of the most dangerous creatures you could encounter underwater: jellyfish (or ‘jellies’ as they are known in Australia). There is nothing more nerve wracking than being stung by a jellyfish because their venom can temporarily paralyse you. They are found across the world, including in Australia, which is probably why this diving man has encountered one here.
17) Clairin – Diver under Anchor (1900s) – This diving poster features what looks like an old diving suit with an air tank attached to it. The diving man is holding onto an anchor with his right hand while he uses his left hand to hold onto a diving rope for support. If you look very carefully, you will notice there is a fish lurking beneath the diving suit too. Just another day at work for a diving man!
18) Émile Henry-Jacques – Diving Girl and Seahorses (1895) – French diving artist Émile Henry-Jacques created this diving poster in 1895, showing a diving woman who is surrounded by seahorses. The diving girl’s diving suit consists of a large metal helmet and thick diving dress which seem to be keeping her quite safe from the dangers of the diving world. Seahorses have adapted over time so they can live both on land and underwater – although these ones seem to be more interested in having fun with the diving girl than doing any actual work.
19) Félix Godard – Diver under Coral Reef (1910s) – This diving poster features one of the most colorful designs you will ever see. A giant coral reef looms over a small diver as he floats it, ready for work even though he seems to be enjoying himself too. The diving man’s diving suit is quite unusual, with a large metal diving helmet and a diving dress which ends above his knees. You can see bubbles coming from the diving man’s mouth, showing that he is breathing under water – but it looks like he just needs to take off his diving helmet every now and then in order to get some air into his lungs.
20) Felix Godard – Diver on Wreck (1910s) – This painting by French artist Felix Godard shows how much fun diving could be. A diving girl is seen sitting beneath the sea with her feet submerged in the water. She leans back against her diving equipment so she can relax as she enjoys taking an underwater holiday. The diving suit is very different from those worn by modern divers – it features a full diving dress that comes down below the knees, and a diving helmet with an extremely long pipe that seems to go all the way up to land. Is there someone on land who we can’t see? Quite possibly!
21) Émile Henry-Jacques – Diver and Seahorses (1895) – French artist Émile Henry-Jacques painted this diving poster inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea . A diving man dressed in a ‘dry suit’ uses his right hand to hold onto his diving rope as he enjoys another dive, completely relaxed as three seahorses entertain him underwater. There is not much room inside the diving helmet, but this diving man seems to be comfortable.
I found it hard to choose just 21 diving posters – these ones seemed to represent all types of diving styles and diving equipment from across Western Europe in different countries and eras. I hope you enjoyed viewing them as much as I did! Please share this post.
