Overview

In 1879 Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, a Finnish scientist and explorer, completed the first transit of the Northeast Passage, a sea route from Europe across the northern coast of Asia to the Pacific. This passage, like the Northwest Passage to Asia, had been long sought and speculated about. At the time of Nordenskiöld's voyage aboard the Vega, it was considered certain that an all-water route existed, but most felt it to be impassible due to heavy ice. By making the passage safely, Nordenskiöld proved such speculation to be groundless. Following his return to Europe, Nordenskiöld wrote and published a popular book, The Voyage of the Vega, in which he described his journeys and discoveries.

Background

European cartography in the late nineteenth century was an interesting mix...