Carl Anton Larsen

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, and Antarctic explorer
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 a Norwegian-born whaler and Antarctic explorer who made important contributions to the exploration of Antarctica, the most significant being the first discovery of fossils for which he received the Back Grant from the Royal Geographical Society.[2] In December 1893 he became the first person to ski in Antarctica on the Larsen Ice Shelf which was subsequently named after him.[3] In 1904, Larsen re-founded a whaling settlement at Grytviken on the island of South 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 ship C.A. Larsen was named after him.

  1. ^ Larsen, Carl Anton. "1900 Census for the Municipality of Sandefjord". Norwegian Historical Data Centre. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  2. ^ Rabassa, Jorge; Borla, Maria Laura (2006-11-21). Antarctic Peninsula & Tierra del Fuego. Taylor and Francis. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-415-41379-4.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "SOUTH GEORGIA NEWS". The James Caird Society. Archived from the original on 2005-12-21. Retrieved 2006-01-12.
  4. ^ Mills, William James (2003). Exploring Polar Frontiers A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 373–374. ISBN 1-57607-422-6. Archived from the original on 2006-10-21. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  5. ^ The Island of South Georgia, p. 238, Robert Headland, 1992