Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts
Abstract Exploratory activities of Norwegians, particularly those directed by Lars Christensen, off eastern Antarctica are discussed briefly in relation to contemporary Antarctic investigations and politics. The interests of Norway there and Christensen's role in establishing an understanding o...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1998
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400025985 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400025985 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400025985 2024-03-03T08:38:21+00:00 Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts Norman, F. I. Gibson, J. A. E. Burgess, J. S. 1998 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400025985 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400025985 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 34, issue 191, page 293-304 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 1998 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400025985 2024-02-08T08:34:03Z Abstract Exploratory activities of Norwegians, particularly those directed by Lars Christensen, off eastern Antarctica are discussed briefly in relation to contemporary Antarctic investigations and politics. The interests of Norway there and Christensen's role in establishing an understanding of the local coastline are indicated. Particular attention is paid to the landing made by Klarius Mikkelsen in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, on 20 February 1935. Note is taken of the site's recent re-discovery, and the symbolic role of the landing in the national aspirations of Norway, Britain, and Australia is discussed. Mikkelsen operated under commercial and scientific interests promoted by Christensen, and his landing was, at least in published material, seen as an extension of them. However, there is a suggestion that not only had a new Norwegian land been discovered, and a landing made, but that a claim to it was at least considered. Such a claim was not appropriate given previous agreements between Norway and Britain. The site's location and environs are discussed, as are subsequent flights over it and visits made there by Australian expeditioners. The ambiguity associated with claims that Caroline Mikkelsen was the first woman to land on the Antarctic mainland is also examined. Since Mikkelsen's site was on an island within the Tryne Group, to the north of Davis station, if a mainland location is required to establish such an event, then an alternative (Scullin Monolith) is proposed; however, on this occasion four women were involved, but who was first ashore remains uncertain. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Polar Record Cambridge University Press Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Vestfold Hills Norway Vestfold Christensen ENVELOPE(47.867,47.867,-67.967,-67.967) Davis Station ENVELOPE(77.968,77.968,-68.576,-68.576) Davis-Station ENVELOPE(77.968,77.968,-68.576,-68.576) The Landing ENVELOPE(-45.689,-45.689,-60.733,-60.733) Monolith ENVELOPE(163.283,163.283,-66.950,-66.950) Mikkelsen ENVELOPE(-67.129,-67.129,-68.749,-68.749) Scullin Monolith ENVELOPE(66.700,66.700,-67.783,-67.783) Lars Christensen ENVELOPE(-90.517,-90.517,-68.817,-68.817) Caroline Mikkelsen ENVELOPE(74.396,74.396,-69.751,-69.751) Polar Record 34 191 293 304 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Norman, F. I. Gibson, J. A. E. Burgess, J. S. Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
Abstract Exploratory activities of Norwegians, particularly those directed by Lars Christensen, off eastern Antarctica are discussed briefly in relation to contemporary Antarctic investigations and politics. The interests of Norway there and Christensen's role in establishing an understanding of the local coastline are indicated. Particular attention is paid to the landing made by Klarius Mikkelsen in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, on 20 February 1935. Note is taken of the site's recent re-discovery, and the symbolic role of the landing in the national aspirations of Norway, Britain, and Australia is discussed. Mikkelsen operated under commercial and scientific interests promoted by Christensen, and his landing was, at least in published material, seen as an extension of them. However, there is a suggestion that not only had a new Norwegian land been discovered, and a landing made, but that a claim to it was at least considered. Such a claim was not appropriate given previous agreements between Norway and Britain. The site's location and environs are discussed, as are subsequent flights over it and visits made there by Australian expeditioners. The ambiguity associated with claims that Caroline Mikkelsen was the first woman to land on the Antarctic mainland is also examined. Since Mikkelsen's site was on an island within the Tryne Group, to the north of Davis station, if a mainland location is required to establish such an event, then an alternative (Scullin Monolith) is proposed; however, on this occasion four women were involved, but who was first ashore remains uncertain. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Norman, F. I. Gibson, J. A. E. Burgess, J. S. |
author_facet |
Norman, F. I. Gibson, J. A. E. Burgess, J. S. |
author_sort |
Norman, F. I. |
title |
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
title_short |
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
title_full |
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
title_fullStr |
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
title_sort |
klarius mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the vestfold hills, east antarctica: some fiction and some facts |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400025985 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400025985 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(47.867,47.867,-67.967,-67.967) ENVELOPE(77.968,77.968,-68.576,-68.576) ENVELOPE(77.968,77.968,-68.576,-68.576) ENVELOPE(-45.689,-45.689,-60.733,-60.733) ENVELOPE(163.283,163.283,-66.950,-66.950) ENVELOPE(-67.129,-67.129,-68.749,-68.749) ENVELOPE(66.700,66.700,-67.783,-67.783) ENVELOPE(-90.517,-90.517,-68.817,-68.817) ENVELOPE(74.396,74.396,-69.751,-69.751) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Vestfold Hills Norway Vestfold Christensen Davis Station Davis-Station The Landing Monolith Mikkelsen Scullin Monolith Lars Christensen Caroline Mikkelsen |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Vestfold Hills Norway Vestfold Christensen Davis Station Davis-Station The Landing Monolith Mikkelsen Scullin Monolith Lars Christensen Caroline Mikkelsen |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 34, issue 191, page 293-304 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400025985 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
191 |
container_start_page |
293 |
op_container_end_page |
304 |
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1792506727921352704 |