Raahe Wanha Herra, also known as “The Old Gentleman of Raahe,” is thought to be the oldest diving suit still in existence, having been made in Finland in the 1700s. Stitched calfskin was used to make it. By sealing the diving suit with a concoction of tar, pitch, and hog fat, it became partially waterproof. A hardwood framework reinforces the hood-shaped head from the inside out. A wooden air pipe aperture is located in the upper section of the hood.
Captain Johan Leufstadius (1829–1906), a master mariner and shipowner, gave The Old Gentleman, also called Wanha Herra, to the Raahe Museum in the 1860s. Raahe, a prominent maritime hub in the Gulf of Bothnia, was probably in need of diving operations at the time. The upper portions of the boots, which resemble traditional short-shank boots, and the diving gloves, which resemble Finnish mittens, attest to the suit’s purportedly Finnish origin. The suit was originally intended to be used for examining a sailing vessel’s bottom. Since the suit was not totally waterproof and could not survive the intense pressure found underwater, diving probably only lasted for brief periods of time. The diver would need to go through a hole in the stomach of the suit in order to enter. After that, the diver’s waist was secured with a leather strap that had been twisted to seal the opening.
Raahe Museum
The oldest local history and cultural museum in Finland is called the Raahe Museum, often known as the Museum of Raahe. The town of Raahe, in the province of Oulu, is home to the museum.
Carl Robert Ehrström founded the Museum of Raahe in 1862. The museum has been housed in the former customs house since the turn of the 20th century. Built in 1848, it was initially used as a facility to hire sailors during the Age of Sail. The structure is nearly exactly as it was when it was first constructed.
Built in 1848, it was initially used as a facility to hire sailors during the Age of Sail. The structure is nearly exactly as it was when it was first constructed.
The Raahe Museum’s collection illustrates the town’s past as a shipbuilding and maritime community.
The majority of the museum’s collection is made up of donations from the 1800s. These include peculiar natural objects and other foreign items, such as exotic mementos that sailors brought back to Raahe.
Cultural history artifacts have been added to the collection, many of which have connections to Raahe’s past. Many of these objects, like the small sailing boats and the paintings on them, are a reflection of the town’s maritime past.
Along with toys, guns, coins, and textiles from various eras are part of the collection.
Before it was transferred to another neighbouring museum, the former Crown Granary, “The Old Gentleman” was the most well-known object in the museum. It is the oldest diving suit still in existence.