Lecture6 TBArlov2018

SH-201TheHistoryofSvalbard 1

S H - 2 0 1 T H E H I S T O R Y O F S V A L B A R D

ThorBjørnArlov,NTNU&UNIS

6 Thegreat(andnotsogreat)polarexpeditionsfromSvalbard

Content of today’s lecture •  Backgroundandearlyattempts

–  FarthestNorth:motivesandmethods–  Competingapproachestopolarexploration–  Timeline:NorthPoleattemptsfromSvalbard

•  Theadventofmoderntechnology–  Balloonsorairship?AndréeandWellman–  AracetowardsthePole:The1920s–  TheNorthPoleattained–sowhat?

•  ResultsandeffectsofPolarexpeditions?•  HowimportantwasSvalbardinthePolar

race?

1sthalf:

2ndhalf:

Problem:

Today’s Cultural Heritage Quiz

©ThorB.Arlov015

Whatisthis?©SvalbardMuseum

Lecture6 TBArlov2018

SH-201TheHistoryofSvalbard 2

A North Pole primer

•  ThemysteryoftheNorthPoleregion

•  Revivalofinterestinthe19thcentury:globalexploration

•  ThesearchfortheFranklinexpedition(1845-47)–  Scientificandtechnologicaladvances–  Imperialismandnationalprestige– Makingheroes:therôleofmassmedia

JohnFranklin(1786-1847)

Theory of the Open Polar Sea

•  Kane’sexploration1853–54ofSmith’sSound

•  AglimpseofanopenPolarSea?Hayes’expeditiontoEllesmere1860–61

•  (Pseudo-)scientificexplanations:AugustPetermanandSilasBent(1870s)

•  WeyprechtatFranzJosefLand1872–74

I.I.Hayes(1832–81)

Competing approaches

•  Sailing:bustingthetheoryofanopenPolarSea–  Nordenskiöld’s”Vega”expedition1878-79throughtheNorthernSearoute

–  DeLong’s”Jeanette”expedition1879-81

•  Letnaturedothejob:driftingwiththeice–  ”Fram”acrossthePolarSea1893-96

•  Learningfromthelocals:skis,dogsandsledges

•  Newtechnology:FlymetothePole

Lecture6 TBArlov2018

SH-201TheHistoryofSvalbard 3

A dozen polar expeditions

•  1764–66:Chichagov•  1773:Phipps•  1818:Buchan&Franklin•  1827:Parry•  1861:Torell(trial)•  1868:Nordenskiöld•  1872–73:Nordenskiöld•  1894:Wellman•  1896–97:Andrée•  1907,1909:Wellman•  1925:Amundsen&Ellsworth•  1926:Amundsen-Ellsworth-Nobile;

Byrd&Bennet•  1928:Nobile

1750 1850 19001800 1950

15 minutes break

Andrée’s first attempt 1896

•  SalomonAugustAndréeandhisplan•  Atechnologicalapproachtopolar

exploration•  Supportersandsponsors:amatterof

nationalprideandhonour•  TheaeronauticalbaseatVirgohamna•  Avisitof”Fram”andtheendofan

expedition•  Winnermeetsloser:Nansen’s

appraisalofAndrée•  Planningforasecondattempt

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SH-201TheHistoryofSvalbard 4

Fate of the 1897 expedition

•  ”Cuteverywhere!”Departureon11July

•  ”Allwell”–theflighttowardsthepole

•  Finalcrashon14July,at82°56’N,29°52’E

•  Themarchsouthwards:FranzJoseflandorSpitsbergen?

•  Finalstop:KvitøyainOctober•  Resolvingthemystery:the

”Bratvaag”expedition1930•  ConsequencesforSwedishpolar

research

Doomed to despair? DavidHempleman-AdamsflewfromSvalbardtothePoleandbackin2000

Wellman – pioneer or failure?

•  WalterWellman(1858–1934):journalistturnedexplorer

•  With”RagnvaldJarl”towardsthepole,1894

•  SleddingfromFranzJosefland,1898–99

•  Airship”America”atSvalbard,1907•  Secondattemptwith”America”1909•  Pioneerorfailure?Wellmanjudged

byhiscontemporaries•  Gameover:PearyandCook1909

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Amundsen airborn •  Amundsen:ageinghero,newtechnology

•  Ahelpinghand:LincolnEllsworth•  Ny-ÅlesundasanArcticairbase•  Theflightto(nearly)88°north–andback

The Pole attained – twice?

•  BackonSvalbard1926:Amundsen,Ellsworth–andNobile

•  Secondgenerationofairships•  ByrdandBennetsnatchtheprize–ordothey?

•  Theflightof”Norge”•  TheAmundsen-Nobilecontroversy:prideandprejudice

•  ThereturnofNobile,1928•  The”Italia”tragedy•  Endofanera

Farthest north – so what?

•  Epilogue:Kuznetsov1948andHerbert1969

•  TheNorthPole–vastlyoverrated?–  Thescientificchallengesandresults–  Economicandstrategicinterests–wasitworththetrouble?

–  ”Imusthavefame”–heroismasdrivingforce

–  Therôleofmassmediaandthepublic:polarexplorationbyproxy

•  PolarexpeditionsinthehistoryofSvalbard–aretheyimportant?