Photo: S. Munro

John Ernest Williamson (1881-1966) was a pioneer of undersea photography and was active in motion pictures for nearly 50 years.

His father, Charles Williamson of Norfolk, Virginia, was a sea captain who had invented a tube, which, when suspended from a specially outfitted ship, facilitated communication and airflow down to depths of 250 feet.

In 1912, Williamson realized that his father's invention could be adapted for undersea photography. Artificially illuminated photographs of the depths of Chesapeake Bay taken in 1913 produced such captivating results that Williamson was inspired to attempt motion pictures.

Photo: S. Munro

To facilitate the tube's new purpose, he designed a special attachment: an observation chamber with a large funnel-shaped compartment, fronted by a large, thick glass window 5 feet in diameter. He called this device the "Williamson Photosphere."

With this new equipment, Williamson and his brother George set out for The Bahamas, where the sunlight can penetrate 150 feet deep in clear water, greatly enhancing photographic possibilities. In March 1914, near Nassau, Williamson shot the first-ever underwater motion pictures.

His first feature was known as the "Williamson Submarine Expedition" and was ingeniously called Thirty Leagues under the Sea. Released in 1914, the film demonstrated how the Bahamians depended on the ocean's ecosystem to support their own. His equipment made possible the shooting of the first undersea fiction movie, the 1916 film version of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Both films caused sensations in London, Chicago, and New York. Subsequently Williamson divided his energies between fictional features and documentary films.

Photo: S. Munro

The New York premiere of Thirty Leagues under the Sea was hosted by the American Museum of Natural History in August 1914.

Several years later, Williamson assisted the Museum when it began to plan a coral reef diorama. He joined Roy W. Miner, the Museum's Curator of Living Invertebrates, on an expedition to Andros Island in The Bahamas, the third-largest barrier reef in the world, to study and collect specimens. In 1924, his specialized equipment was transported across the miles-deep "Tongue of the Ocean," and safely moored in the lee of Little Golding Cay.

From there the team of Museum scientists and Williamson with his dive crews mounted a large-scale study and collection of coral from the Andros reef. An estimated 40 tons of coral was carefully lifted from the seafloor and hauled onto the beach where it was packed in crates and sent to the Museum.

In all, five expeditions over ten years were required to gather the specimens for the Andros Coral Reef diorama, with Williamson providing additional specimens and information for the accurate re-creation of the reef scenes.

In 1922, the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, came to The Bahamas to visit the Williamson Photosphere. He enthusiastically descended the 40 feet to the observation chamber below, where he gazed at the beautiful tropical reef and teeming fish life through the glass window. Returning to the surface after a full half hour¹s visit, he proclaimed it the most wonderful experience of his life.

Photo: S. Munro

In 1927, Williamson married Lilah Freeland (1894-1991). The newspapers lauded the "undersea honeymooners," and in 1929 featured their newborn daughter, Sylvia, "the little captain," being rocked to sleep in the Photosphere. Their second child, Annecke Jans, was born in 1934.

Having married a marine explorer, Lilah immediately became one herself. She contributed to every undertaking involving their undersea work for the next 40 years, and was an indispensable part of the discoveries and research. Her presence in the Williamson films conveys the image of a devoted wife and mother with a pioneering spirit.

In 1929, Williamson led the Field Museum-Williamson Undersea Expedition to The Bahamas to collect 25 tons of coral for the creation of the coral reef diorama in their new Hall of the Ocean Floor. This beautiful exhibit is on permanent view and is still greatly appreciated today. In 1932, a compilation called With Williamson Beneath the Sea was released, revealing the scientific uses of the Photosphere, and featuring his undersea family. This film has been restored by the Library of Congress.

Photo: S. Munro

In 1939, Williamson conducted The Bahamas-Williamson Undersea Expedition bearing the Explorers Club flag number 97, to film underwater for scientific purposes. That year, the Photosphere was turned into the world's first undersea post office, officially named "Sea Floor Bahamas" offering such stamps as "Sea Gardens" to the delight of stamp lovers around the world. Exciting images of discovery were now available to the general public thanks to the intrepid work of Williamson and his crews.

During the war years of the 1940's, the Royal Governor of The Bahamas, H.R.H Edward, Duke of Windsor, visited the Photosphere and enjoyed viewing the undersea realm that was more peaceful than the one above.

Photo: S. Munro

Williamson continued to welcome visitors to his world beneath the sea, and took his underwater world to them by means of his popular lecture tours and films. His life and work was featured in numerous books and films. He published his autobiography, Twenty Years under the Sea in 1936, and in 1938 coauthored Child of the Deep, detailing Sylvia's underwater adventures. In 1955, he was profiled in the television series I Search for Adventure. He was featured in National Geographic's 1988 video and television presentation Cameramen Who Dared, which honored him as an undersea pioneer.

He remained at the forefront of undersea accomplishments throughout his life, leaving a legacy of courageous dedication to groundbreaking exploration that continues to benefit modern pursuits of marine knowledge.

Major research and writing contribution by Brian Taves and Sylvia Williamson Munro:

Brian Taves
Motion Picture/Broadcasting/Recorded Sound Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4692

Sylvia Williamson Munro
P.O. Box N-134, Nassau Bahamas

With appreciation to the Department of Archives, The Bahamas: Dr. D. Gail Saunders, Director; Mr. David E. Wood, Archivist; Ms. Joycelyn Rolle, Assistant Registry Supervisor; and the entire Research Room Staff.

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES
P.O. BOX SS-6341
NASSAU, BAHAMAS