United States
£ GBP
This book brings together two rather esoteric topics: whaling and industrial archaeology. The focus is on the remains of the shore whaling stations on South Georgia in the Southern Ocean - a centre of Antarctic whaling for the first half of the 20th century. Being left to deteriorate primarily through natural processes, most of the whaling stations still, decades after business closed, have an authenticity that few industrial remains in more populated areas of the world can offer. The book reviews a research project on the industrial archaeology on South Georgia and places the project in a wider context. It reviews the history of South Georgia from the early discoveries, the sealing industry of the 19th century, the whaling industry of the 20th century and the development afterwards, when the attitude towards the former whaling stations gradually shifted from being seen as mere scrap to being considered cultural heritage. The main part of the book describes and analyses how the whaling stations were designed and operated. The emphasis is on the main functions and functional relationships: the processing plant, the power supply, workshops, accommodation and recreational facilities.
