Swiss Federal Office of Topography
Geodata Distribution and Analogue Archives
Seftigenstr. 264
CH-3084 Wabern
Tel. +41 31 963 21 11
Fax +41 31 963 24 59
E-Mail to geodata
Terrestrial images
After World War I and up to the beginning of the 1950s, much of the region of the Alps was topographically surveyed using terrestrial photogrammetry for the purpose of producing the 1:10,000 fortification maps and the 1:50,000 National Map.
Here, swisstopo topographers used the around 7,000 broadly distributed survey points, measured the position and altitude of each location with the aid of a phototheodolite (combination of surveying instrument and camera), and recorded photographic images on more than 80,000 glass plates.
Each station comprised a left-hand and right-hand image point that formed the basis, and the concept was that the parallel images should overlap one another.
Evaluation was carried out in the winter months of the following year. Firstly the co-ordinates and altitude of the image point were calculated, these were subsequently recorded in the photogrammetric evaluation device. With this special equipment it was possible to reconstruct the stereo effect obtained in the field at the time the images were recorded, and thus to topographically evaluate and map the terrain.
Since terrestrial photogrammetry was increasingly replaced by aerial photogrammetry, the points were only surveyed once. The terrestrial images are therefore one of the very few products of swisstopo for which no time series exist. However, in addition to the images themselves, upon request swisstopo is also able to supply the co-ordinates and altitudes of the survey points, as well as the orientation elements of the cameras, by carrying out the necessary additional research (charges apply for this service).
Each station comprised a left-hand and right-hand image point that formed the basis, and the concept was that the parallel images should overlap one another.
Evaluation was carried out in the winter months of the following year. Firstly the co-ordinates and altitude of the image point were calculated, these were subsequently recorded in the photogrammetric evaluation device. With this special equipment it was possible to reconstruct the stereo effect obtained in the field at the time the images were recorded, and thus to topographically evaluate and map the terrain.
Since terrestrial photogrammetry was increasingly replaced by aerial photogrammetry, the points were only surveyed once. The terrestrial images are therefore one of the very few products of swisstopo for which no time series exist. However, in addition to the images themselves, upon request swisstopo is also able to supply the co-ordinates and altitudes of the survey points, as well as the orientation elements of the cameras, by carrying out the necessary additional research (charges apply for this service).
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