Louis Boutan

What the history books say: first underwater photographer. What the history books don't say: 

obviously a pirate.

France - 1893 - @ The White Dot

On Its Own Turf

Are you out of your cotton pickin mind? Oh, hell no.

no information available

from Florida Fresh and Other Slices,

which I do not mean to keep borrowing from,

but the photos he posts are just so good.

The Family Neptune

The family that dives together, thrives together. 

Esther Williams and family, mid-1950s
somewhere in Florida

from Florida Fresh & Other Slices

The Feed Themselves

Well that's just damn good advice. I'm sort of amazed sometimes that humans ever populated areas with no fish.

US Food Administration Poster

circa 1917 - 1919

from the US National Archive

Study of Swimmer Through Water

Screaming, breathing, or simply very cold?

Lake Michigan

1941, photographer Charles Cushman

from What Makes the Pie Shops Tick

La Femme Amphibie

There is something about old illustrations of crocs and gators that I really love. They look so very lizardy - almost like dragons - in our imaginations. They're much bulkier in real life, though every bit as interesting.

French Circus Poster

late 1800s/early 1900s

from Layman's Layout

Depression Era Shark and Octopus Death Battle

I call shenanigans.

Modern Mechanix Magazine

1933

from Modern Mechanix Blog

Shark Lady

I'm not sure I altogether understand what's going on here. Is she feeding the sharks? Admitting them into the pen? But they look surrounded by water. I dunno, I just think it looks cool.

no information available

from voodooangel's flickr stream

Observing rainbow trout.

What can you add to that?

Oregon

1972, photographer Robert W. Henderson

from Oregon State University

Ernest Borgnine as the Aquanaut

I love the little divers spearing the giant fish in the eye. I love the eels eating a guy? a barrel of toxic waste? But what drew me in was the trident styling on the E.

The Neptune Factor

1973

from Wrong Side of the Art

And I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

If you usually flip through here without enlarging any of the images, do yourself a favor and make an exception for this one. Go ahead, click on it, check out the details. The sailor with the peg leg gets to me.

Moby Dick illustration

2007, artist Tom Neely

from i will destroy you

Bottom

I often dream of dried up lakes, rivers with their beds exposed to a grey sky, wrecks uncovered, boats left leaning.

France?

1920s

from Robert Bonnin's flickr stream

Sunk

One of the most beautiful photos I have ever seen. I have literally had dreams like this.

no information

from J. Yyuenger, which you should already be following

Listen Listen Said the Mermaid to the Prince

Lying stretched on a bed of seaweeds at the bottom of the sea. ‘Listen! that is your old love playing, for mermaids know everything that happens upon earth.’

The Brown Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang
1904, illustrator H. J. Ford
from Project Gutenberg

The Process of Evolutionary Survival

I don't think that's how it works.

Mystery Tales #3
1953, artist Joe Maneely
from The Horrors of It All, where you can see the whole story

20000 Lieues Sous les Mers

I understand the fish and mermaids, but where does the mime come in?

20000 Lieues Sous les Mers
1907, directed by Georges Méliès
from Amoeblog

Tropical Fish in the Home

This is one of those simple ones that catch my eye. If I saw this at the flea market, I might buy it.

Tropical Fish in the Home by Douglas Gohm
1954
from Aquatic Fish

Buck Rogers

Barbarians, space men, monsters, and women in fur bikinis. Me, I found his art first on the covers of Tarzan paperbacks.

Frank Frazetta, RIP

Famous Funnies
1954
from Golden Age Comic Book Stories

Shocking

"Come on, let's go electrocute some sharks!" Wait, what?

Science and Invention Magazine
1920, illustrator Howard Brown
from MagazineArt.org

Thigh Grab

Now that is one deliberate handful.

See For Men
1962
from Cover Browser