Sealing was the first exploitative industry in the Antarctic region. Throughout the 19th century it was characterised by large fluctuations in catches and shifts in hunting grounds as seals were almost exterminated in several locations. This paper reviews the historical literature on this industry. In particular it reviews sources and data that relate to its economic importance. So far, no one has succeeded in indicating the aggregate economic value of the industry. The main aim, therefore, is to investigate new data, especially on market prices that will enable a more accurate assessment of the significance of the industry.

The former whaling stations at Grytviken, Husvik Harbour, and Stromness Harbour on South Georgia were surveyed during two expeditions by a Norwegian party investigating industrial archaeology. This paper decribes the survey methods, which included photographic documentation, measurements, and mapping. Maps of the entire stations were made from photogrammetric and theodolite surveys. Detailed plans of the individual buildings were made, with each room being identified and measured. A detailed photographic survey was also undertaken. The paper then presents the main results of the analysis of the survey so far, and suggests some possibilities for utilizing the results in future research. It also describes an ongoing project on the construction of a CD-ROM on the history of Husvik Harbour, of which the survey data are an important part.

The first factory ship of the so-called modern era of Antarctic whaling was Admiralen, arriving together with two smaller catcher boats in the South Shetland Islands in January 1906, after a period of whaling in the Falkland Islands. The expedition leader was Alexander Lange, a Norwegian whaler with a long experience from whaling in northern Norway and Spitsbergen. He kept a diary for a considerable period and this covered several whaling voyages. The one dealing with the pioneer Antarctic season of 1905–1906 has been translated from Norwegian into English and is presented here with an introduction that places the expedition into its wider context.

In May 1916 Sir Ernest Shackleton and two companions arrived at the Stromness whaling station, South Georgia, after their dramatic boat journey from Elephant Island and traverse of the island's mountains. The Manager's Villa, where they were believed to have been made welcome, became a historic building that has been frequently visited by those journeying to South Georgia. There have been two different manager's dwellings in Stromness through the years, but their history has not been clear. New evidence indicates that the Villa that was assumed to be the one Shackleton reached in 1916, was not erected in Stromness until 1925. In that year it was moved from the abandoned Ocean Harbour whaling station farther south on the island and replaced the original Manager's Villa. This paper reviews new evidence on the Stromness villas and concludes that the historic focus should be shifted to the correct building.