The Kon-Tiki Expedition 1947 (Norway) 2 Black and white photographs The Kon-Tiki Museum The Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 was one of the most famous and celebrated maritime expeditions of the 20th century. In an astounding feat of navigation, a crew of six sailed 8,000 km across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft, from South America to the Tuamotu Islands, in Polynesia. During those 101 days, the crew manned a raft built with the materials and technologies available to South American seafarers of pre-Columbian times. The expedition were not simply adventurous; they had a specific scholarly objective, to demonstrate that ancient peoples could have made long sea voyages, creating contacts between separate cultures. The intellect and driving force behind the expedition was the Norwegian explorer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), who also had a background in zoology, botany, and geography. The Kon-Tiki was not his only expedition. He made four oceanic trips in primitive ve...

Improvements in Airplanes with Rotating Wings 18-04-1922 (application date) 01-01-1937 (expiry date) (Spain) 45 Pages on paper (application), 1 white and blue drawing on paper (plan); 21,2 × 34,1 cm Archives of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office ES81406 Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu was born in Murcia, Spain in 1895. Interested in engineering from a very early age, he constructed prototypes of airplanes and helicopters along with a group of his friends. Together with his friends he built the BCD1 (‘Cangrejo’), the first Spanish airplane that can be said to fly. After some failures with traditional designs, Juan de la Cierva directed his attention to a different type of aircraft—these had rotating blades instead of fixed wings, allowing them to remain in motion at low speed. Thus he conceived the idea of autorotation, and he baptized this machine as ‘Autogyro . ’ It would take until January 1923 before the first sufficiently stable flight of C.4 was achieved, after which Jua...

Letter from István Dobos to the Mayor of Gyula Record: 8-12-1912, Budapest (Aerodrom in Rákos) Photograph: between 1914-1918 2 Pages, manuscript on paper, with stamps, 1 photograph Békés County Archives of the National Archives of Hungary HU-MNL-BeML – XV – 77 – Dobos István The history of flying is filled with adventure, invention and tragedy. The early decades of the 20th century were an especially lively and heroic age, witnessing major breakthroughs in aviation. On 8 December 1912, István Dobos (1892-1937), born in the city of Gyula, in Hungary, and at the time a young and ambitious aviator, wrote to the Mayor of his home town. Dobos told that he had been carrying out experiments in the Rákos Airfield, but that results had been disappointing due to inadequate motors on the planes. He added that he did not have the finances to acquire the necessary materials to improve the motors. As a citizen born in the city of Gyula, he pleaded with the Mayor and other authorities to ...

Funicular Railway System 17-12-1907, Madrid (application date), 26-12-1927 (expiry date) (Spain) 65 Sheets of paper (application), 3 white and blue drawings on paper (plans); 32,5 × 22,8 cm Archives of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office OEPM ES42237 Leonardo Torres Quevedo, born to a well-off family in Santa Cruz de Iguña (Cantabria, Spain), studied in the Official School of the Civil Engineers between 1871 and 1876. He developed a type of aerial cableway for the transport of people. The first tests, carried out in the Iguña valley, were a success and the invention was patented in France, Switzerland, England and the United States. Another of his inventions presented here was a new system for ferries, patented in December 1907, proposing what would in time become the Spanish Aerocar used in the cataracts of the Niagara. The invention proposed several innovations in the cable system using a cable with greater section and more flexibility. His final invention for funiculars was th...

Petition to HM the King by George Vella on Behalf of Cabmen 09-08-1904 (Malta) 3 Pages, manuscript on paper, 20,4 × 33 cm National Archives of Malta NAM/CSG02/879/1904 The Malta tramway was inaugurated on 23 February1905, with Mgr Pietro Pace, the bishop of Malta, blessing all sixteen new trams as three of them made the inaugural trip to Valletta. Newspapers reported that an enthusiastic population were keen to ride on the new trams, and the profits of the first two days (£50) were donated to charity. The new trams were in direct competition with the cabs, boats and railway. However, six months later, on 9 August, George Vella submitted a petition to the King denouncing the “dreadful calamity” that had fallen on the 1,800 cabmen, “the majority of whom have from 5 to 10 children, besides their wives, to keep.” The petition was eventually submitted to the King and on 7 September and the local authorities were informed that “the King has not been pleased to give any directions ....

Viking Ship Ship: c . 820 Photograph: 1904, Oseberg, (Tønsberg, Norway) 1 black and white photograph National Archives of Norway RA/S-1021/Ej/L0697 The term ‘Viking Ship’ refers to a large category of Nordic wooden vessels built and used by the Vikings, during the era that bears their name, 800-1050 AD . The Vikings were feared and admired across Europe; their voyages and their incursions remain the stuff of legend, and their ships were almost as famous as the Vikings themselves. Viking ships of all types were known for their technical and artistic perfection. The design varied, depending on whether they were intended for military or commercial use. Most Viking navigation was coastal or along rivers, but, as is well known, they sometimes engaged in deep sea voyages, with ships designed for Atlantic navigation sometimes known by the Norse term ‘Knarr . ’ Viking ships were fast and manoeuvrable, with the strength to survive ocean crossings. Remains of various Viking ships have b...

A New Waterway Route on the Danube 22-05-1851, Petrovaradin (today part of Novi Sad, Serbia) 1 Sheet, manuscript and coloured drawing on paper, 49 × 32 cm Historical Archive of Vojvodina of Novi Sad (Serbia) RS 002 F. 373 190 Rivers have been used for transport since time immemorial. Long before the modern and efficient networks of highways and even before ancient roads, rivers were used as routes for trade and the movement of people and goods. The main rivers traversing Europe have been significant waterways since ancient times, including of course the Danube, the second longest river of Europe. Originating in Germany, the Danube crosses Central and Eastern Europe, flowing today through 10 countries before draining into the Black Sea. It was one of the most important trade routes in Europe, crossing a collection of important towns that included four capital cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade).The Danube is 2,850 kmin length, and most of it (2,415 km) is navigable. ...

Plans for the First Water Level Gauge [1817] (Hungary) Plans of the first water level gauge (Plan des in der königsSchloss Wassermaschin neu zu errichtenden Pegels, Niveau Cotten sammt Höhen, des Pegels, bey der hiesigen könig. caal Wasser Maschine) National Archives of Hungary HU-MNL-OL – T 14 – № 1/72, 1/73 Europe has had a long history of works related to water management and hydraulic engineering. By the latter decades of the 18th century, water level measurement was recognised for its importance in terms of navigation and river regulation, particularly for transportation planning, flood prevention and irrigation. However measurement techniques and instruments were poorly standardised, with irregula designs. In 1816, Johann von Svoboda, director of the State Direction of Water and Architecture ( Directio in hydraulicis et aedibus ) in Hungary, applied for the cost of producing two reliable water level gauges. The State Direction of Water and Architecture had been founded in 1788,...

An Attack Submarine in 1808 1808 (Norway) 1 Sheet, manuscript with drawing on paper; 15,94 × 36,27 cm; 2 colour photographs of a wooden object 27,15 × 40,84 cm and 26,78 × 40,51 cm National Archives of Norway Regional State Archive in Bergen SAB/A-100006/Eb/0048 Design concepts for submarines and submersible boats have been with us since the Middle Ages, but genuinely feasible proposals didn’t emerge until the 16th century. These were completely enclosed wooden vessels, sheathed in waterproofed leather, that could be submerged. They also included some type of mechanism that would allow for rudimentary manoeuvring. Functioning submarines have however been documented since the 17th century, including those designed and constructed by Cornelius Van Drebbel, a Dutchman in the service of James I of England. Throughout the 17th century, several inventors planned increasingly sophisticated submarines. During the 18th century several projects for military submarines were presented and these cu...

A Garment for Underwater Exploration 1720 (Spain) 1 Sheet, manuscript with drawing on paper; 41,5 × 28,2 cm Spanish State Archives General Archive of the Indies ES.41091.AGI//MP-INGENIOS,248 Underwater exploration has a very long history. Free-diving (to collect food or other sea products,such as sponges or pearls) took place since early antiquity in the Mediterranean Sea and in many other regions and seas around the world. The idea of using a contraption such as a diving bell to allow someone to remain underwater for extended periods has been with us for a long time. It was only in the 16th and 17th centuries that more sustained efforts were made to design and construct equipment for underwater work, but the question of providing air to the diver remained problematic. In the 18th century different models of diving suits were proposed and different breathing systems were also developed. Systems that pumped air to the diver were designed, allowing greater autonomy for the diver under ...

Diverting Rivers 04-05-1690, Miskolc (Hungary) 3 pages, manuscript on paper; 31 × 21 cm Borsd-Abaúj-Zemplén County Archives of the National Archives of Hungary HU-MNL-BAZML – IV. – 501/b. – X. – I. – 3 Controlling the course of rivers and preventing floods has a long history across Europe and the wider world. Indeed, managing water courses was   a well-developed engineering speciality in Europe even before a fully scientific discipline of hydraulics was established. The document presented here refers to a discussion about the possible alterations of river courses to improve transportation and irrigation, in Hungary during the late 17th century. It is a three page letter, dated 4th May 1690, from Balázs Danka to Borsod County, about three rivers (Sajó, Bába Sára and Hejő) in the towns of Miskolc and Ónod, which hinder traffic in the region. Balázs Danka informs Borsod County that in Eger, both the dignified Commission (Committee) and the noble Chamber had inquired about how t...

Painting the World: A Manuscript Atlas 1571 (Goa) 1 volume of 18 folios, coloured maps on parchment; 53 × 40,4 cm Torre do Tombo National Archive of Portugal PT/TT/CRT/165 Fernão Vaz Dourado ( c . 1520 - c . 1580) was a Portuguese cartographer who worked in Goa, India. Not much is known about his biography, but it is very likely that he was born and lived there. Goa was a meeting point for all the peoples, cultures and products circulating in the Indian Ocean. The item shown here is one of the sheets of an Atlas (depicting western Europe and part of North Africa) produced by Fernão Vaz Dourado, in 1571. The Atlas is a superb cartographic document, one of the finest and most beautiful examples of 16th century manuscript cartography. The Atlas is composed of eighteen illuminated folios, in high quality parchment, exquisitely painted by professional hands. Fifteen of these folios are charts of different parts of the surface of the Earth and its oceans, while the other three contai...

Portolan Charts and Mediterranean Voyages C . 1570 (Malta) 1 Page (fragment), coloured map on parchment (calfskin); 56 × 40 cm Notarial Archives of Malta Notarial Deeds of Natale Parmesciano, vol 29 Portolan charts are perhaps the most iconic cartographic artefacts of the Middle Ages and early modern period. They depict geographical locations around the Mediterranean Sea and were used to assist voyages along its coasts. Portolan charts are striking for the amount of information they contain and the detail of their representation of coastal lines. Although drawn primarily as technical devices to help pilots and sea captains, it is well known that portolan charts were also used for political and diplomatic purposes. The portolan chart presented here covers the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a fragment of a wider chart, encompassing a larger part of the Mediterranean. It was discovered recently, in 2014, in the inside cover of a collection of documents (Notarial Deeds of N...

Mathematicians Helping Sailors 1564 (Portugal) 1 Bound volume, manuscript on parchment, 29 folios; 31,5 × 21,5 × 1,5 cm Torre do Tombo National Archives of Portugal PT/TT/MSLIV/0869 Many scientific and technical developments made during the 16th century, in response to the new needs of oceanic navigation, were adaptations of previously existing procedures. Both nautical instruments and nautical techniques were frequently adapted from instruments and methods that astronomers and astrologers had used for many centuries. Astronomical techniques were also adapted to solve navigation issues, such as calculating the current latitude, a crucial operation for any venture on the high seas. This process of progressive adaptation was complex and required the joint collaboration of sailors and scholars such as mathematicians, professional groups that had very little in common up to that time. The manuscript presented here records astronomical data necessary for the determination of latitude. M...

A Compilation of Knowledge to Cross the Oceans 1560 (Portugal) 1 Bound volume, manuscript on paper and parchment; 241 folios; 42,5 x 30 x 6 cm (cap), 40,3 × 27,7 cm (folios) Torre do Tombo National Archives of Portugal PT/TT/CRT/166 Starting in the 15th century, several European nations initiated a maritime expansionist movement that led to the creation of vast colonial empires. Long-distance ocean voyages posed many technical challenges and great efforts were made to overcome those difficulties, requiring the contribution of professionals from different disciplines. The document presented here is a collection of diverse texts on the technical aspects of oceanic navigation. Some of these works are attributed to João de Lisboa, a celebrated Portuguese pilot from the first half of the 16th century. Whereas some of the works contained in this document may have been authored by him, it is likely that in other cases he was just the compiler of information that circulated in nautic...

New Lands and a New Sky 01-05-1500 ( place unidentified) 1 Document of 2 folios, manuscript on paper, 31 × 21,9 cm Torre do Tombo National Archives of Portugual PT/TT/CC/3/0002/000002 The arrival of the Europeans in America, and the opening of maritime commercial lines between Europa and Asia, were epoch-defining events destined to transform the history of the world. Long distance ocean voyages were to become the backbone of the empires built by the European powers and it is no surprise that a great deal of thought and work was put into improving them and making them safer. This manuscript page shows a letter to the King of Portugal,   Manuel I, written by one ‘Master John’ a bachelor in Arts and Medicine, physician on board the fleet led by Pedro Álvares Cabral, that reached Brazilian shores for the first time in April 1500. He comments on the difficulties of navigating in the Southern Hemisphere, where the night sky is different to the one in the Northern Hemisphere. H...

Transports and Navigation   Pillar 3 is about transports and the perennial impulse to travelling. The documents displayed are about machines, gadgets, inventions, maps, and a variety of other items that attest to the interest and the constant involvement of europeans with voyages. Of special note are the documents related to long distance sea voyages, and the impact these voyages had not only in the economic history of Europe but more generally in the understanding of the geography of the Earth. Maps, reports, and other materials related to navigation document not only the voyages themselves but also this fascinating process of learning about the geography of the Earth. The same can be said about land travels, of course. Intense transportation in land and in rivers is a characteristic of the history of Europe and documents about these activities are also present in this Pillar of the exhibition. In some historical periods maritime enterprises played a central role in the ...

First Oil Drilling on the Norwegian Shelf Morning report 18-7-1966 – 21-7-1966 (Norway)  3 Sheets, paper; A4 size National Archives of Norway Regional State Archive in Stavanger SAS/A-101917 (PA-1512)/E/Ea/L0011, L0012 and L0020 Norway is the leading producer of oil in Europe today (excepting Russia), and one of the most important producers in the world. Things changed rapidly when oil was discovered in the Norwegian continental shelf in the early 1960s, and the first round of licensing of oil activity was announced on 9 April 1965. Esso rented a drilling rig in November 1965 from Odeco, one of the world's largest players in offshore exploration drilling. These documents and photos witness the beginning of oil in Norway. The ‘Ocean Traveler’ rig was constructed in New Orleans and towed over the Atlantic when it was completed. On 21 June 1966, it entered Stavanger. Other documents included the ‘Daily Drilling Report’, a diary of the activities on the rig, recording weather and...