THE ANCIENT COMPANY CRESSI SUB - HISTORICAL OFFICES AND BRANDS

Submitted by LuigiFabbri on Sun, 06/06/2021 - 13:11

THE ANCIENT COMPANY CRESSI SUB - HISTORICAL OFFICES AND BRANDS

 It seems that the first name and first address of the current Cressi Sub was the one shown on a supplier's invoice dated March 1941, headed to "Spett. Ditta Rag. Cressi Antonio Egidio - Via Monte Zovetto, 26/7 - Genoa ". Based on the well-documented research of Franco Martini, we know that in 1943 the name changed to "Il Pescatore di Cressi Antonio" and remained so until "49, when it became "Il Pescatore Subacqueo-Cressi" based in Corso Torino, 38 - Genoa , as evidenced by the writings on the spearguns produced at that time and also one of the first advertisements of the company, which became very well known in the restricted sub sector of those times.

Cernia Sport first series 1944
Il Pescatore - Genova

Jolly in plastic 1955
Il Pescatore Subacqueo - Genova
Saetta B Esxtra 1964
Cressi Sub - Genoa

 Corso Torino is a famous address, considering that from that door one entered the basement where the first spearguns with the Cressi name were handcrafted. From here, above all, Duilio Marcante entered as a rifle officer and then Luigi Ferraro, who became consultant and designer of the Rondine fins and the Pinocchio mask.

pubblicità Cressi 1949 l'ingresso di corso Torino, 38

 

In the early 1950s, a new relocation, this time to via Majorana, 9 in Genova-Quinto where Cressi will remain for many years before moving to the large current headquarters in via Adamoli, 501 along the Bisagno torrent.
The brand remained unchanged until the mid-1960s, when it was simplified to “Cressi-sub - Genoa” as reported for example on the Saetta B Extra speargun. Note the name "Genoa" which often alternates in the writings on the guns with the modern "Genova".

 The image below shows Egidio Cressi's rack of sperguns with his notes alongside. The first reads "spring speargun with Glisenti revolver handle" (it was his personal); in the second it is written “a speargun formerly of Gonzatti then of Reinberg which is the prototype of the Cernia Sport”; at the bottom the arrow indicates the "spring winder".

Egidio Cressi's spearguns

 

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