Gunnerius Ingvald Isachsen | |
|---|---|
 Isachsen in 1921 | |
| Nickname | Gunnar Isachsen |
| Born | (1868-10-03)3 October 1868 |
| Died | 19 December 1939(1939-12-19) (aged 71) Asker, Norway |
| Allegiance | Norway |
| Branch | Cavalry |
| Rank | Major |
| Other work | Polar scientist; First president of theNorwegian Maritime Museum |
Gunnerius Ingvald Isachsen (3 October 1868 – 19 December 1939), was aNorwegian military officer and polar scientist. From 1923, he was the first president of theNorwegian Maritime Museum.
He was born inDrøbak,Norway in 1868 and grew up there. His father was theshipmaster Nils Høgh Isachsen (1838–1913), and his mother was Marie Cecilie Sivertsen (1839–1909). His sister, Louise Isachsen, was a physician.[1]
After passing the matriculation exam in 1888, he entered theNorwegian Military Academy.
Isachsen was made afirst lieutenant in the Norwegiancavalry in 1891. Gymnastics and sports keenly interested Isachsen, and he graduated from the gymnasium Central School in 1898, also taking courses at the Marine Observatory inWilhelmshaven and the marine research inBergen.
From 1898 to 1902, Isachsen wastopographer onOtto Sverdrup'sFram expedition to theArctic archipelago.[2] During this voyage, he was promoted toRittmester in 1899, and mapped large areas of hitherto unknown islands inNorthern Canada, mainly by long sledge journeys. These includedEllef Ringnes Island,King Christian Island.[3]
From 1903 to 1905, he participated in the French military service inAlgeria andParis. From 1906 to 1910, he led topographic andbathymetric research expeditions atSvalbard.[4] These expeditions were paid for byPrince Albert of Monaco.
Isachsen led his own government-financed expeditions toSpitsbergen in 1909 and 1910. As a result of these expeditions, he founded the Norwegian systematic research work on Svalbard. In 1911, Isachsen was on assignment in Russia and Japan. Three years later, a fire destroyed his house in Asker, and with it all his maps and records. He served as a regular salaried officer to 1917. He was the Norwegian government's technical delegate to the Svalbard Treaty of Paris in 1914 and theParis Peace Conference in 1919.
Isachsen visited theFaroe Islands andIceland in 1922. In 1923, he became the Director of the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo,[1][5] and in 1923 and 1924, he took part in expeditions toEast Greenland . He was promoted to Major in 1924, and participated in a special whaling mission to theRoss Sea in 1926–27. He was the government's whaling inspector in theSouthern Ocean in 1929–30, and the leader of the fourthNorvegia expedition circumnavigating theSouth Pole in 1930–31.[6]
Isachsen married Signe Amalie Eide (1876–1911) in 1903.Signehamna harbour in Svalbard is named in her honour.[5] They had three children (Fridtjov, Nils, and Gerd). His second marriage, in 1916, was to Marie Sophie Louisa Steenstrup (1884–1958).[1] They had five children (Kjell, Inger, Karen, Odd, and Finn); Odd Isachsen is still living.[7] Through his second marriage, Gunnar Isachsen was a brother-in-law ofHjalmar Steenstrup.[8]
In 1903, he was knighted 1st Class of theOrder of St. Olav, and was commander of the Cross 2nd Class in 1931. He held theKing's Medal of Merit in gold (1912), as well as a number of foreign orders and medals.
From 1911, he lived on his farm Vardeborg, under theVardåsen, the highest point inAsker, Norway. Isachsen died of aheart attack in Asker in 1939.
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