Virtual museum celebrates Survitec centenary

SURVIVAL solutions specialist Survitec has partnered with the Museum of Godalming in Surrey to curate a virtual museum to mark the company’s 100-year anniversary.

The museum showcases inventions and patents that have played a pivotal role in maritime, energy, defence and aviation safety, often helping to shape international safety rules and guidelines.

Ron Krisanda, executive chairman, Survitec, said: “The virtual history museum highlights key milestones in the maritime and aviation industry starting with our company founder’s invention of life rafts in the 1920s.

“Working with the Museum of Godalming, we’ve been able to chronicle the early years of survival products, including the world’s first marine evacuation and submarine escape suit. At Survitec, we have a long history of saving lives so it is with enormous pride we mark this important contribution to maritime, energy, defence and aviation industries.”

The Godalming Museum is located where Survitec’s founder, Reginald Foster Dagnall, established his first life raft production facility. Survitec, then known as RFD, supplied survival products during the First World War and is credited with inventing the world’s first infant life jacket, the first fast jet anti-G trousers, and helped develop the first Apollo space suit for NASA.

Museum curator Alison Pattison said: “The museum has a large stock of images, voice interviews with staff from the past and a large bank of information, which we are making available to Survitec to celebrate the company’s centenary. It really is a fascinating insight into a company that has managed to weather the passage of time.”

The virtual museum, which can be visited at www.survitecgroup. com/100Years, includes TV news footage, survivor stories and interviews, along with a number of videos highlighting the evolution of life jackets, life rafts, marine evacuation systems and more over the years.