Appearances of Spitzbergen and adjacent Islands

Print depicting five views of the Svalbard islands, then under the name Spitsbergen (also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen). The first four views are depicted in a two-by-two grid, with the fifth being a ‘panorama’ view of Spitsbergen. Inscribed above the images: ‘Appearances of Spitzbergen and adjacent Islands / Plate III’. Inscribed beneath the images: ‘Drawn by W. Scoresby Jun. / Edinburgh, Published by A. Constable & Co. 1820 / W & D Lizars Sculpt.’

The first image depicts a view of Bear Island in its entirety, including three mountains sloping down to a plain that joins to another craggy mountain. Titled beneath: ‘1. Cherie or Bear Island, bearing E.S.E. distant 10 Miles.’

The second image depicts the Three Crowns, a famous mountain range. The three peaks are named Svea, Dana and Nora, after Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The depiction is not of the whole of Spitsbergen island, showing only the Three Crowns, east of the King’s Bay. Titled beneath: ‘2. The Three Crowns, Situate at the Head of King’s Bay, Spitzbergen, bearing E.S.E. distant 10 Leagues.’

The third image shows a part of the Forlandet or Prins Karls Forland (anglicised as Prince Charles Foreland), a small island just outside Spitsbergen. The etching shows a jagged mountain range. Titled beneath: ‘3. Middle Hook of the Foreland or Cherles’ Island, bearing E.b.S. 25 Miles. Elevation 4000 to 4500 feet.’

The fourth image depicts Bautaen mountain, the extremely pointy mountain in the centre of the image, and Hornsundtind on the southern part of Spitsbergen island. Titled beneath: ‘4. Horn Mount and the Land near Horn Sound, Spitzbergen. Elevation of Horn Mount 4395 feet.’

The fifth image shows a ‘panoramic’ view of Amsterdam Island. It is a small island off the northwest coast of Spitsbergen. It is separated from Danes Island by the strait Danskegattet. Titled beneath: ‘5. Appearance of the North-Westernmost Land of Spitzbergen from Hakluyt’s Headland to the Norways. Hakluyt’s Headland bear 8 S.S.W. (True); Main Land of Spitzbergen S.: Vogel Sang S 1/2 E; Norways (uncertain) S.S.E.’

William Scoresby (1789–1857) was an English whaler, Arctic explorer, scientist and clergyman. In 1820, Scoresby published ‘An Account of the Arctic Regions with a History and Description of the Northern Whale Fishery’. The two volumes brought together knowledge about the Arctic, and findings from Scoresby’s experiments and observations from his years as a whaler. This print was published in volume 2 of the text.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard island group in northern Norway. It borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea. The island was first used as a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries, after which it was abandoned. Coal mining started at the end of the 19th century, and several permanent communities were established. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 recognized Norwegian sovereignty and established Svalbard as a free economic zone. The Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz gave Spitsbergen its name in 1596. The Norwegian administrating authorities named the archipelago Svalbard in 1925, the main island becoming Spitsbergen.

Object Details

ID: PAD1897
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Lizars, D; Lizars, William Home Scoresby, Reverend William A. Constable & Co
Places: Spitsbergen Island Group; Bear Island
Date made: 1820
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Mount: 209 mm x 376 mm