The journeys of the vertical dimension. Altitude mapping as statecraft in nation making (Argentine, 1901-1914)

FAVELUKES, GRACIELA; MAZZITELLI, MALENA

Belo Horizonte

Conferencia; 27th International Conference on the History of Cartography / Conferência Internacional em História da Cartografia ? ICHC 2017 "The Cartographic Challenge of the New / O desafio cartográfico do Novo"; 2017

Imago Mundi and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Government of Minas Gerais, CAPES, CNPq and FAP

Recent satellite imagery seem to have fulfilled the promises of modern scientific cartography, that of the exact display of earth surface. Computer programs even allow common users taking measurements of distances between any set of points. Calculating heights, however, remains a tricky business. Despite the minute definition of images available in free and very popular applications, the excellent plastic appreciation of relief and its easy geo location are not paralleled with the possibility of conveying and calculating heights on screen. The problem, for certain, is not new. As is known, important works were carried out along the 19th and 20th centuries to measure the territory and to graphically convey the results into maps.Several methods have been used through time to depict relief, such as hachures, shading, coloring, numbers and contour lines. The latter rely on precise measurements of heights and, more specifically, of altitudes ?that is, the height of a given point in relation to a zero level conventionally established as the medium level of sea for each country. The precise measurement and depicting of altitudes is neither a mere academic matter nor a question of national pride, although it is indeed related to both interests. The issue has been important in many practical endeavors, such as the accurate measurement of surfaces most necessary to establish land taxes, or to plan public works, as well as to the advance of general scientific knowledge and of geological theories. In addition, such works were of utmost importance to the nation states that arose in Latin America after the independence from Spain, both as a means of promoting foreign investments and as a field of expertise increasing and of statecraft improvement.How did the vertical dimension find its way into maps in the context of modern nation making? What was at stake in the endeavor of the so called "nivelación de la república" (leveling of the republic)? As we intend to show, the studying of relief was undertaken by bits and fragments in a sort of fluid and ubiquitous process, that took advantage of the partial leveling works necessary to the construction of railway lines, surveys for river canalization, and ambitious geological and geographical projects. We will address the issue with three examples: the profiles and height numbers included in the cadastral atlas published by engineer Carlos Chapeaurouge in 1901, the map attached to a 1912 hydrological report issued in the official Public Works Bulletin and the first national hypsometric map of 1914. The latter inaugurated a lasting cartographic series, which circulated no only among scholarly circles, but also held an important place in the geographical education.