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Carl Anton Larsen

Coordinates:63°35′S55°47′W/ 63.583°S 55.783°W/-63.583; -55.783
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Carl Anton Larsen
Carl Anton Larsen
Born(1860-08-07)7 August 1860
Østre Halsen,Norway
Died8 December 1924(1924-12-08)(aged 64)
Ross Sea,Antarctica
Occupation(s)sailor,ship captain,whaler,andAntarcticexplorer
Spouse(s)Andrine Larsen, née Thorsen
Parent(s)Ole Christian Larsen and Ellen Andrea Larsen, née Engelbrightsen

Carl Anton Larsen(7 August 1860 – 8 December 1924)[1]was aNorwegian-bornwhalerandAntarcticexplorer who made important contributions to the exploration ofAntarctica,the most significant being the first discovery offossilsfor which he received the Back Grant from theRoyal Geographical Society.[2]In December 1893 he became the first person toskiin Antarctica on theLarsen Ice Shelfwhich was subsequently named after him.[3]In 1904, Larsen re-founded a whaling settlement atGrytvikenon the island ofSouth Georgia.[4]In 1910, after some years' residence on South Georgia, he renounced his Norwegian citizenship and took British citizenship.[5]The Norwegian whale factory shipC.A. Larsenwas named after him.

Early life[edit]

Carl Anton Larsen was born in Østre Halsen,Tjolling,the son ofNorwegiansea captainOle Christian Larsen and his wife Ellen Andrea Larsen (née Thorsen).[1][6]His family subsequently relocated to nearbySandefjord,the home of the Norwegian whaling industry, where at the young age of 9 he went to sea in a smallbarquewith his father chasing seals and trading across theNorth AtlanticwithBritain,returning to go to school during the fall and winter. He continued this for a number of years, until his curiosity for the sea was so strong he enrolled himself in navigation school where he passed the exam for foreign-going mate at the age of 18.[7]Having been to Britain a few times in the previous years he realized the importance of knowing more languages and taught himself English andSpanish.

Larsen was eager to get work as an officer on a ship, but due to economic difficulties in Norway at the time, he could not achieve that. This was a setback, but he went to work at sea as a cook, learning the importance food played in keeping men happy.

He finally got a position aboard the barqueHoppetout of Larvik, assecond mate,thenfirst mateandsenior officerbelow the captain. He was 21 and knew he had to study again so he came ashore and soon became ashipmaster.

Upon becoming a shipmaster, Larsen needed a ship of his own. This was more than he could afford so instead he bought a share of an old barque called theFreden.It was not smooth sailing for Larsen as the barqueFredenwas all but wrecked after his first voyage. He soon got her fixed, only to be faced with another setback: nobody had any freight he could carry. This turned out to be a stroke of luck as he decided to go on his first whaling experience, huntingbottlenose whalesjust off the coast of Norway. Larsen was a born whaler and soon filled the Freden with whales and went on filling her until 1885 when he realized that he could not use theSvend Foyngun with little chaser-steamers like the modernwhalers.It was time for a newer ship.[7]

Expeditions to Antarctica[edit]

Norwegian expedition 1892-1894[edit]

Between 1892 and 1894 Larsen led a Norwegian whaling reconnaissance expedition to Antarctica, in command of theJason.TheJasonwas a ship Larsen was familiar with as he had been aboard it during the voyage that carriedFridtjof NansentoGreenlandduring his east–west crossing in 1888.[8][9]They spent the 1892-93 summer exploring the waters and shores ofGraham Land,returning the following summer to investigate theWeddellandBellingshausen Seas.The sea ice was particularly light in 1893, allowing theJasonto sail to 68° 10' south, further south than had previously been achieved, and indeed no other traveller would penetrate so far south along theLarsen ice shelffor nearly a century.[10]

Larsen added significantly to understanding of the geography of the area, discovering theLarsen Ice Shelfand theJason Peninsula,two of 12 features named in Larsen’s honour, as well as theFoyn CoastinGraham Land,King Oscar Land,andRobertson Island.He also identified two active volcanoes and many groups of islands, and was first to record a colony ofemperor penguinsalthough, as the species was unknown to him, he mis-identified them asking penguins.[11]The colony was not rediscovered until 2014. His expedition also discovered fossilised plant remains onSeymour Island,[11]and was the first to return fossils from the region;[10]the site has continued to yield significantpaleontologicalresults.

Graham Land and its islands
Map ofGraham Land,showing Antarctic Peninsula (1) and Joinville Island (4) with Hope Bay between them, Snow Hill Island (6), Vega Island (7) and Paulet Island (10)
Graham Land and its islands is located in Antarctica
Graham Land and its islands
Graham Land and its islands
Location in Antarctica
Geography
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates63°35′S55°47′W/ 63.583°S 55.783°W/-63.583; -55.783
ArchipelagoJoinville Island group

Swedish expedition 1901-1904[edit]

After reading of Larsen’s journey,Otto Nordenskjöldcontracted him to convey a scientific expedition to the area. Larsen thus captained the shipAntarctic,transporting theSwedish Antarctic Expeditionsouth between 1901 and 1904.[12]The sea ice was heavier than in 1893, and – although the ship passed through the iceberg-infestedAntarctic Soundnow named after it – the expedition was unable to get further south thanSnow Hill Island.[11]Nordenskjöld’s party of six scientists was left there in January 1902 to overwinter, and Larsen planned to return the following summer to pick them up.[10]

Larsen spent the southern winter exploringSouth Georgia,where he found a sheltered harbour, a supply of fresh water, and an abundance of whales. The expedition archaeologist found numerous sealers’ artefacts and named the siteGrytviken(‘Pot Cove’). Larsen saw the possibilities to establish a land-based whaling station, which he was to develop from 1904.[10]Returning south in December 1902 to collect Nordenskjöld’s party, Larsen foundAntarctic Soundchoked with ice. Before attempting the more treacherous route aroundJoinville Island,Larsen therefore left three men (Duse, Andersson and Grunden)[11]atHope Baywith instructions to sledge south, contact Nordenskjöld’s team, and bring them back to Snow Hill Island in case theAntarcticwas unable to reach them. While Larsen headed into theWeddell Sea,the three men found their route blocked by open water and returned to Hope Bay to await Larsen’s return.[11]

The pack ice was thick in the Weddell Sea and Larsen, trapped several times, was eventually unable to free his ship. After several weeks, on 12 February 1903,[11]the trapped ship was crushed and sank; the nineteen remaining crew (and the ship’s cat)[11]took what they could and crossed the ice to the nearest land,Paulet Island,where they overwintered, surviving (like the team at Hope Bay)[13]on penguins and seals they captured.[11]Nordenskjöld and his team had explored the Larsen ice shelf and Jason Peninsula during the summer; unaware of the fate of theAntarcticbut better supplied than the ship’s crew, they too settled in for another winter when theAntarcticfailed to arrive.

With summer, in late 1903, the three men at Hope Bay decided to make another attempt to reach Nordenskjöld; his location was known to potential rescuers, while theirs was not. Although they veered south-west towardsPrince Gustav Channel,by chance Nordenskjöld’s team had also decided to explore that area and the two teams met on 12 October 1903 nearVega Island.[10][11]

Meanwhile Larsen had rowed across Hope Bay from Paulet Island with five men, to rescue the men he had left there. Arriving, they found the deserted hut and a note saying the men had left in another attempt to find Nordenskjöld. Larsen’s boat therefore headed south to Snow Hill Island to attempt to find them there. On 8 November[11]the Argentine shipARAUruguayreached Snow Hill Island to rescue the two teams now re-united there; miraculously, Larsen and the five men from his boat arrived later in the afternoon, having seen theUruguayin the distance. TheUruguaythen sailed north to collect the remaining crew from Paulet Island. Only one crew member had been lost, succumbing to illness while overwintering on Paulet Island.

Larsen and South Georgia[edit]

Grytvikenin 1914
TheNorwegian Lutheran Church in Grytviken(built in 1913)

In 1904, Larsen settled on the British island ofSouth Georgiain theAntarctic,starting a new era of whaling. On Christmas Eve, 1904, he produced the first whale oil of the season in the newly builtwhalingstation ofGrytviken.With capital from Argentine, Norwegian and British sources, he founded the firstAntarcticwhaling corporation, theCompañía Argentina de Pesca(Argentine Fishing Company). Within a few years the Antarctic was producing about 70% of the world's whale oil.[14]

Larsen had chosen the whaling station's site during his 1902 visit while in command of theAntarctic.[15][16]Larsen organized the construction of Grytviken ― a remarkable undertaking accomplished by a team of 60 Norwegians. As with other buildings, achurchwas pre-built in Norway and erected in Grytviken. This typical Norwegian-style church was consecrated as aChurch of Norwaychurch, on Christmas Day, 1913. In 1922, the funeral service forSir Ernest Shackletonwas conducted in the church before his burial in the church cemetery.[17]Larsen established a meteorological observatory at Grytviken, which from 1905 was maintained in cooperation with the Argentine Meteorological Office under the British lease requirements of the whaling station until these changed in 1949. Larsen was also instrumental, with his brother, in introducingReindeer to South Georgiain 1911, as a resource for recreational hunting for the people involved in the whaling industry.

Larsen, like other managers and senior officers of the South Georgia whaling stations, lived in Grytviken together with his family including his wife, three daughters and two sons. In 1910, they obtained Britishcitizenship,following an application filed with the BritishMagistrateof South Georgia in which Larsen declared: "I have given up my Norwegian citizens rights and have resided here since I started whaling in this colony on 16 November 1904 and have no reason to be of any other citizenship than British, as I have had and intend to have my residence here still for a long time."[18]

Larsen died in December 1925 while attempting to run a full-scale whale factory ship down towards theRoss Sea.[10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Antarctica, Great Stories from the Frozen Continent.Australia: Reader's Digest. 1985.ISBN0-949819-64-6.
  • Alberts, Fred G., ed. (1980).Geographic Names of the Antarctic.Washington: U.S. National Science Foundation.
  • Alexander, Caroline; Hurley, Frank (1998).Endurance.London: Bloomsbury.ISBN978-0-7475-4123-3.
  • Child, Jack (1988).Antarctica and South American Geopolitics: Frozen Lebensraum.New York: Praeger Publishers.ISBN978-0-275-92886-5.
  • Mills, William James (2003).Exploring Polar Frontiers A Historical Encyclopedia.London: ABC-CLIO Publishing.ISBN1-57607-422-6.
  • Rabassa, Jorge; Borla, Maria Laura (2006).Antarctic Peninsula & Tierra del Fuego.London, New York: Taylor and Francis.ISBN978-0-415-41379-4.
  • Risting, Sigurd (1929).Kaptein C. A. Larsen(in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen Akademiske forlag.
  • Riffenburgh, Beau (2006).Encyclopedia of the Antarctic.Vol. 1. London: Taylor and Francis.ISBN0-415-97024-5.
  • Rubin, Jeff (2008).Antarctica.Lonely Planet Publications.ISBN978-1-74104-549-9.
  • Rubin, Jeff (1996).Antarctica: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit.Oakland, CA.: Lonely Planet Publications.ISBN0-86442-415-9.
  • Stewart, Andrew (1990).Antarctica: An Encyclopedia.Vol. 2 vol. set. London: McFarland and Co.ISBN0-89950-470-1.
  • Villiers, Alan (1956).Pioneers of the Seven Seas.London: Routledge & Paul.
  • Ivanov, Lyubomir; Ivanova, Nusha (2022).The World of Antarctica.Chișinău: Generis Publishing.

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^abLarsen, Carl Anton."1900 Census for the Municipality of Sandefjord".Norwegian Historical Data Centre.Retrieved23 October2009.
  2. ^Rabassa, Jorge;Borla, Maria Laura (2006-11-21).Antarctic Peninsula & Tierra del Fuego.Taylor and Francis. p. 40.ISBN978-0-415-41379-4.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^"SOUTH GEORGIA NEWS".The James Caird Society.Archived fromthe originalon 2005-12-21.Retrieved2006-01-12.
  4. ^Mills, William James (2003).Exploring Polar Frontiers A Historical Encyclopedia.ABC-CLIO. pp. 373–374.ISBN1-57607-422-6.Archived fromthe originalon 2006-10-21.Retrieved2009-10-23.
  5. ^The Island of South Georgia,p. 238,Robert Headland, 1992
  6. ^Riffenburgh, Beau (2006).Encyclopedia of the Antarctic, Vol. 1.Taylor & Francis. p. 584.ISBN0-415-97024-5.Retrieved22 October2009.
  7. ^abVilliers, Alan (1956).Pioneers of the Seven Seas.Routledge & Paul. pp. 179–80.Retrieved22 October2009.
  8. ^Rubin, Jeff (2008).Antarctica.Lonely Planet. p. 40.ISBN978-1-74104-549-9.Retrieved22 October2009.
  9. ^Antarctica.Sydney: Reader's Digest, 1985, pp. 126–27, 152–59, 296–97, 305.
  10. ^abcdef"Captain C.A. Larsen".Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions.Retrieved27 February2024.
  11. ^abcdefghijFretwell, Peter (2020).Antarctic Atlas.Particular Books. pp. 156–159.ISBN978-1846149337.
  12. ^Child, Jack.Antarctica and South American Geopolitics: Frozen Lebensraum.New York: Praeger, 1988, pp. 13–14, 27–28, 72.
  13. ^Lonely Planet,Antarctica: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit,Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet, 1996, pp. 23, 278–79, 307.
  14. ^"Business: Whales".Time.May 28, 1934. Archived fromthe originalon November 3, 2012.
  15. ^Stewart, Andrew,Antarctica: An Encyclopedia.London: McFarland and Co., 1990 (2 volumes), p. 558.
  16. ^U.S. National Science Foundation,Geographic Names of the Antarctic,Fred G. Alberts, ed. Washington: NSF, 1980.
  17. ^Endurance(by Caroline Alexander. London: Bloomsbury. 1998)
  18. ^Robert K. Headland,The Island of South Georgia,Cambridge University Press, 1984.

External links[edit]

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