Norden Hartman was a South African archivist and herald.

He joined the State Archives in 1948, and rose to the grade of senior archivist. He transferred to the Bureau of Heraldry

Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)

The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a National Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals , to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the...

 when it was established in 1963, and was promoted to State Herald when Dr Coenraad Beyers

Coenraad Beyers

Dr Coenraad Beyers was a South African historian, archivist, and herald.He joined the State Archives in 1927, and was Chief Archivist from 1944 until he retired in 1953. In 1956, he served on the official committee appointed to investigate the practical aspects of setting up an heraldic authority...

 retired in 1964. He served as State Herald until his own retirement in 1982.

As State Herald, Hartman established the Bureau as a respected heraldic office, encouraged the development of a distinctive artistic style (strongly influenced by Finnish practice), and innovations such as new lines of partition

Line (heraldry)

The lines of partition used to divide and vary fields and charges in heraldry are by default straight, but may have many different shapes. Care must sometimes be taken to distinguish these types of lines from the extremely unusual and non-traditional use of lines as charges, and to distinguish...

. The centenary of the archives service in 1976 gave the Bureau an opportunity to showcase its work.