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Antarctica and the modern geographical imagination (1918–1960)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Klaus J. Dodds
Klaus J. Dodds
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX
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Abstract

This paper examines how different technologies of exploration and mapping transformed human understanding of the Antarctic in the period 1918–1960. In the aftermath of the ‘heroic’ expeditions, European and American governments began to invest considerable monies in support of national expeditions for the purpose of claiming and mapping the polar continent. The collection of practical geographical information during the inter-war period was overtaken by the advent of polar aviation and aerial mapping in the 1930s. The aeroplane and the aerial camera played key parts in expanding stores of knowledge about the continent and altering perceptions of place. Finally, the paper considers the 1955–1958 Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE). This venture was significant because it was widely understood to be the final chapter in the geographical and scientific assualt on the Antarctic. The TAE was the high point of polar achievement, as a range of technologies were brought to bear on the surface of the Antarctic icesheet. Thereafter, the cultural and political significance of the polar continent changed in the face of new challenges for human exploration in the realms of outer space and the Moon.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 33 , Issue 184 , January 1997 , pp. 47 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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