Map of Iceland

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Antique map of Björn Gunnlaugsson, 1844.
Björn Gunnlaugsson (1788-1876) was educated as a mathematician and was a teacher at Bessastaðaskóli. In 1831 he obtained surveying equipment from the government and a grant from the Literature Society in Copenhagen to travel to Iceland and survey the settlements which were excluded when the coast was surveyed between 1801 and 1818.

Björn surveyed the country almost continuously until 1843 and travelled for a total of around 700 days during his research. During the winter he worked on his calculations and mapmaking which he sent to the Literature Society to be printed. In March 1844 the printing of maps for all four quadrants of Iceland was complete and five years later a map of the whole country was published to a smaller scale. As a recognition of the great feat entailed in the surveying of Iceland Björn was elected an honorary member of the Literature Society and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog as well as the highest award of the French Legion of Honour.

Actual size of map: 120 x 100 cm.

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