The Shore Whaling Stations at South Georgia: A Study in Antarctic Industrial Archaeology (review)

What was to become the large-scale whaling industry in the Antarctic started out in 1904 on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia and centered there for many years. Six shore-based stations gradually expanded into small industrial towns. One of the stations closed in 1920, a second one in 1931, and the other four operated, though not continuously, until the early 1960s. The cultural history of this remote place comprises elements of adventure, but also of sadness and tragedy. Whaling in the Antarctic and around South Georgia depleted some of the whale stocks so badly that it remains uncertain whether they will ever recover.

Bjørn L. Basberg, who has studied the economic history of Antarctic whaling for many years, initiated his first industrial-archaeological project on South Georgia in the 1980s. This book, an important supplement to the literature on the history of modern whaling, will provide a valuable basis for future studies. The first of three parts surveys industrial archaeology as a research field that in recent decades has developed new methods and new perspectives. Basberg's brief review of related archaeological research indicates that the South Georgia survey in some respects differs from other surveys in Antarctic regions and also at shore-based stations. The whaling stations on South Georgia are unique in that they were never put to alternative use. Having deteriorated primarily through natural processes, most of them still have an authenticity that few industrial remains in more populated areas of the world can offer.

The second part of the book is historically oriented, with chapters devoted to the island before whaling, the creation of the industry, its long decline, and the aftermath of its demise. What was once disregarded has come to be seen as a valuable cultural heritage. Interest was spurred after the Falklands War, when the physical remains became a political issue. In the late 1990s the island also became a tourist destination, and plans were made for cleaning up the "capital" of the island, Grytviken. There have been inevitable conflicts between environmentalists and heritage conservationists. What types of buildings should be preserved, what types should be demolished, and what types should be left to decay naturally?

The third and main part of the book comprises a detailed account and analysis of the whaling stations as physical structures. After studying the layout and design—production, power supply, workshops, living quarters, food and catering, recreation facilities—Basberg has considered how the whaling stations shaped and were shaped by the landscape. In the first of several appendixes, he describes in some detail his survey methods and techniques. (One wonders why this was not part of the main text. Had it been, the subtitle would have been more descriptive.) Mapping could not be done from the air, as air support was very limited, so the photogrammetry is terrestrial. There were many challenges and compromises relating to the photographic survey of buildings at the whaling stations. As Basberg makes clear, it was far from obvious how a systematic survey of the large and complex stations should be undertaken.

The photographs from the project are cataloged and archived at the Commander Chr. Christensen's Whaling Museum in Norway, and maps of all the stations and building plans have been completed using CAD, and stored digitally. If flensing plans and every floor of the buildings are included, a total of about 90,000 square meters have been surveyed. So far, this material has been organized only as an educational research project and no final steps have been taken to convert it into a commercial product.