Historical Museum
of Southern Florida
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Historical Museum
of Southern Florida |
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Nick Toth - Diving Helmets
Toth’s grandfather, Antonios Lerios, was born on the Greek Island of Kalymnos. As a boy he moved to Istanbul, Turkey, where he worked in the shipyards, eventually becoming a master mechanic and machinist. He came to Tarpon Springs in 1913, when he was 21, and soon became known as the best diving helmet craftsman. Over the years he continually refined his design, making the helmet more comfortable, improving air flow and increasing visibility. Toth admired his grandfather’s skills and ability to solve mechanical problems. As a young man, he began to learn the machinist trade and to absorb much of his grandfather’s knowledge. Before Lerios passed away at age 100 in 1992, Toth had assumed the family machine shop business and was continuing the tradition of crafting diving helmets that are among the finest found anywhere. To begin a helmet, he hammers a sheet of malleable copper against a cast iron form (made by his grandfather in the teens or twenties) to fashion the shoulder piece. The main part of the helmet is spun from copper to Toth’s exact specifications by another shop. He machines the openings in the helmet, fabricates all of the other parts—from the precision air valves down to the smallest wing nut—and completes the assembly in his shop. The result is an expertly crafted helmet that should survive 30 or 40 years of daily use. The heyday of Florida’s sponge diving industry occurred during the 1930s and 1940s. For most of Toth’s youth, the industry was in decline, due to red tides and the increased use of synthetic sponges. But, in the 1980s, the sponges in the Mediterranean died, and the Florida market recovered. Florida’s tough, soft sponges are considered to be some of the best in the world and are purchased for both industrial and domestic use. Though Toth continues to make helmets for a few local divers, he is currently exploring new markets. Divers who work in the colder, rougher waters off the California coast are particularly impressed with his heavy helmets. They appreciate the custom design of the helmets and find that they outlast other manufacturers’ products. Toth also receives orders worldwide from diving clubs and individuals who want to display his helmets as works of occupational art. He feels fortunate that this expanded interest is enabling him to continue his family tradition. - Robert Stone Photograph by Eric Dusenbery
www.historical-museum.org
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Men
of Greek descent have been diving for sponges on the floor of Florida’s
warm Gulf of Mexico waters since approximately 1905. The center of this
pursuit is Tarpon Springs, located just northwest of Tampa. Though today
most of the divers use modified scuba gear, a few still wear the traditional
canvas and rubber suit topped with a heavy helmet made from copper, brass
and plate glass by Nick Toth.
