Martin Hotine
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Martin Hotine CMG CBE
(1898–1968) was the head of the Trigonometrical and Levelling
Division of the Ordnance Survey
responsible for the 26 year long retriangulation of Great Britain
(1936–1962) and was the first Director General of the Directorate of Overseas Surveys (1946–1985).
According to Nicholas Crane
(Map Man
):
resurvey of Britain. 6,173 of these were built. They provided a solid base for the theodolite
s used by the survey teams during the survey, thereby improving the accuracy of the readings obtained. They are sometimes referred to as "Hotine Pillars".
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Martin Hotine CMG CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(1898–1968) was the head of the Trigonometrical and Levelling
Levelling
Levelling or leveling is a branch of surveying, the object of which is1) To find the elevation of a given point with respect to the given or assumed Datum.2) to establish a point at a given elevation with respect to the given or assumed Datum....
Division of the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
responsible for the 26 year long retriangulation of Great Britain
Retriangulation of Great Britain
The retriangulation of Great Britain was a triangulation project which involved erecting concrete pillars on prominent hilltops throughout Great Britain...
(1936–1962) and was the first Director General of the Directorate of Overseas Surveys (1946–1985).
According to Nicholas Crane
Nicholas Crane
Nicholas Crane is an English geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster. Since 2004, he has written and presented four notable television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town....
(Map Man
Map Man
Map Man is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two in 2004. Each episode recounts a particular tale in the history of British cartography, with a particular emphasis on the individuals whose dedication and ingenuity led to the production of some of history's most ground-breaking...
):
Retriangulation of Great Britain
Hotine was responsible for the design of the triangulation pillars constructed during the GeodeticGeodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
resurvey of Britain. 6,173 of these were built. They provided a solid base for the theodolite
Theodolite
A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
s used by the survey teams during the survey, thereby improving the accuracy of the readings obtained. They are sometimes referred to as "Hotine Pillars".
Honours
- 1947 Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
Gold Medal (Founder's) "For research work in Air SurveyAerial surveyAerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography, LiDAR or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air...
... and for his cartographicCartographyCartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
work." - 1955 PhotogrammetricPhotogrammetryPhotogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
Society's first President's Medal - 1964 Institution of Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
' Gold Medal
Further information
- Episode 8 of the television series Map ManMap ManMap Man is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two in 2004. Each episode recounts a particular tale in the history of British cartography, with a particular emphasis on the individuals whose dedication and ingenuity led to the production of some of history's most ground-breaking...
first broadcast by BBC 2 on 2004-11-04.