-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Old surveying techniques
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:19:35 -0600
From: Patrick Morris <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>
The Newberry Library Cartographic Catalog includes about 150
bibliographic references related to the history of surveying, including
general histories, handbooks & manuals, and secondary works related to
specific places. These are sorted by date of publication via the
following link---
http://www.biblioserver.com/newberry/index.php?m=search&id=&ftype=keyword&q=surveying
All best, Pat Morris
--
==============================
Patrick A. Morris
Map Cataloger and Reference Librarian
The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610-7324
312-255-3674
[log in to unmask]
Search our map catalog at www.biblioserver.com/newberry
Newberry Library web site: www.newberry.org
Angie Cope wrote:
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Old surveying techniques
> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:59:26 +0000
> From: Kollen, Chris <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>
> Hi:
>
> I received the following question. Can anyone recommend a book or books
> that I can refer him to? He emailed me that he has looked at the
> following, but they only scratched the surface:
> 1. "The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error
> that Transformed the World" by Ken Alder (ISBN 0-7432-1675-X)
> 2. "Introduction to Geodesy: The History and Concepts of Modern Geodesy"
> by James R. Smith (ISBN 0-471-16660-X).
>
> Thanks
>
> Chris
>
>
> ----- Forwarded message from [log in to unmask] -----
> Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 17:42:45 -0700
> From: Ken Harris <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Ken Harris <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Old surveying techniques
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> =============================================================
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>
> Name: Ken Harris
>
> Contact: [log in to unmask] 520.742.4218<br />
>
> I'd like to know if there is someone I can talk to about old surverying
> and mapping techniques - 18th century and before.
>
> For instance, when measuring a meridian, how did they ensure a true
> north-south track?
>
> How did they accurately plot the position of each observation station?
>
> Why did they choose such rough terrain for establishing a meridian, such
> as when Mechain was surveying the Paris meridian?
>
> How did they compensate for a geodetic triangle not equaling 180 degrees?
>
> How did they compensate for difference in altitude between observation
> stations in rough terrain?
>
> How did they incorporate refraction when taking observations and that
> the degree of refraction changes with elevation?
>
> If the pendulum method had been chosen, placed at 45 degrees (midway
> between the North Pole and Equator), how would they have determined a
> method for establishing a natural or universal standard for the time-
> dependent constant, such as a second? It seems to me that defining a
> unit of time would prove more difficult than a unit of distance.
>
> I have other questions but those are enough to get the drift, I guess.
> Sorry about all the questions. It's just that I've read several
> books and none of them are specific on the actual techniques and that,
> to me, is much more interesting than, say, the details of the French
> Revolution or the political wranglings concerning the Cassinis, the
> French Academie, King Louis XIV, or Neapoleon. I'm also interested
> in the evolution of units from human-based (cubits, foot, toises, and
> lignes) to natural standards (meters, grams, seconds).
>
> I'm hoping the U of A has a subject matter expert or professor that
> wouldn't mind me dropping by and having a conversation. A really good,
> clear book would be an okay substitute but I'd rather talk to
> someone who really knows the history and the ingenuity used to overcome
> all the physical difficulties and compensating for things they could
> observe but not explain like the effect of gravity and large masses on
> the plumb line, air density and refraction on shooting the transit of
> stars, and the effects of procession.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Ken Harris
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
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