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ABSTRACT
Christopher Hansteen, professor of applied mathematics at the University of Oslo, was appointed as a part-time director of geodesy at the Geographical Survey of Norway in 1817. He quickly realized that previous measurements of angles using geographical circles did not produce data of required quality for geodetic surveying. Using archival sources, the article describes how Hansteen acquired a theodolite from Germany and applied it to demonstrate to the National Assembly (Storting) that investment in new instruments for the Survey was required. With funds granted in 1824, he ordered theodolites, sextants and chronometers from German instrument makers. He conducted a field operation in 1827 in preparation for a first-time survey and mapping of the entire coast of Northern Norway. The article draws on observation logbooks to reconstruct the triangle arc established with the new theodolites between 1828 and 1842. The triangulation stations served as reference points for plane table mapping. Map orientation and geodetic coordinates were controlled by astronomical observations of latitude and chronometer determinations of longitude at two temporary observatories and through selected field observations. The resulting ten maps were the first production released to the public by the Geographical Survey of Norway.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to reviewers and editors for greatly improving the original manuscript.
Notes
1 The Norwegian name was Den Norske topographiske Opmaaling from 1814 to 1827, after which it had various names until it became Norges Geografiske Oppmåling in 1884; it was renamed Statens kartverk (Norwegian Mapping Authority) in 1986, which since 2012 has generally been known by the short form Kartverket (Harsson & Aanrud Citation2016).
2 Original kept in Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preuss. Kulturbesitz, Germany
3 The Laplace formula is a semi-empirical relationship that allows derivation of the height above sea level for an observation site with known latitude from measured values of temperature and atmospheric pressure.
4 Hansteen left Norway in May 1828 for a two-year geomagnetic expedition to Siberia and he returned in June 1830.
5 Broch measured the baseline length as 4946.043 ells (1 ell = 0.6275 m); de Seue (Citation1878, 105) incorrectly gave this as meters.
6 A letter from H. Hagerup to C. Hansteen dated March 9, 1833 (original in the archives of the Norwegian Mapping Authority) indicates that the transit instrument was transferred to the Geographical Survey of Norway in return for Hagerup receiving a sextant with artificial mercury horizon.
7 Held in the National Library of Norway in Oslo and a copy of that map is accessible at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:General_Kart_over_den_Nordlige_Deel_af_Kongeriget_Norge_(Noregr)_-_no-nb_krt_00629.jpg v
8 A copy is accessible at https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil:Sj%C3%B8kart_over_kysten_av_Norge,_fra_Roan_til_Lofoten,_fra_1839.png According to the web page the original is in Statens kartverk sjø Stavanger (now called Sjødivisjonen, Kartverket).