Clarksville, TN – Philbrick Crouch was nineteen when he became a member of the 1930 Oceanographic research team with well-known explorer Dr. William Beebe for the New York Zoological Society to Bermuda.
The Customs House Museum will be revisiting his experience with the exhibit Beyond the Abyss: Phil Crouch & the Bathysphere Adventure on November 15th. The show will include photos of this expedition taken by Mr. Crouch, along with his diary, sketches, and a 90% actual size model of the Bathysphere.
The 1930 expedition was designed to continue work that was started at Nonsuch Island in 1929, when Beebe’s team used nets to catch fish to study and diving helmets and gear to test the water in preparation for using the Bathysphere. Phil’s role was to take care of the electrical system and to keep the generator running.
On June 6th, 1930, Beebe and Barton descended 803 feet, 134 fathoms, 245 meters. It was the first time a scientific group had explored the ocean depths in a vertical line examining the life that exists at various depths. Before the 1930 record the deepest a living man had attained was 525 feet.
Mr. Crouch, who studied at the Beaux Arts and the Arts Student League in New York, made the models for five dioramas of deep-sea fish that were part of the New York Zoological Society’s exhibit at the 1939 World’s Fair.
On August 15th, 1934, Beebe and Barton set a new world record with a depth of 3,028 feet. The record held until 1949. In 1997, noted oceanographer, John McCosker of the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco, called Beebe the “Cousteau” of his generation. The Bathysphere has recently been exhibited at the New York Aquarium.
Beyond the Abyss will be on exhibit through February 17th, 2013.
For more information on above event contact Terri Jordan, Exhibits Curator, at 931-648-5780 or terri@customshousemuseum.org.
About the Customs House Museum
Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second largest general museum. With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!
The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Sr. Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six is free.
The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org
