The Sepia Saturday prompt this week (see the bottom of the post) made me go back and look up some photos in my great-aunt Gerda's photo album.
The text on the side of this bus at least gives a clue as to location: Mullsjö is a village situated about 25 km NW of Jönköping; and Liared is another village in that neighbourhood.
Gerda's sister Ester (born 1876; died 1959) lived in Mullsjö. She was five years older than Gerda; and like Gerda, she never married. I can't say that I recognize any of the women in the photo as either Gerda or Ester - but as the photo is very blurry, it's difficult to say for sure.
Ester had a florist's shop in Mullsjö, and later a confectionery shop. (For a while it may even have been a combination of both.) Back in 2013, a relative identified the woman behind the counter in the photo below (also from Gerda's album) as Ester, and the shop as her confectionary shop.
He said nothing about the customers; but I have since come to recognize that man and woman from other photos in Gerda's album as well - and have come to believe that they must be Gerda's and Ester's brother Oscar (born 1872) and his wife Elin, who lived in Norrköping.
Oscar was a merchant himself. I've been told that early on in the 1900s, he was manager of a country store that was a local branch to one run by his brother-in-law in another village. I'm not sure when exactly Oscar and Elin moved to Norrköping (I may be able to figure out from going back to the old postcards); but I recently found them there in the Swedish censuses of 1910 and 1930. And in the 1910 census, Oscar was registred as merchant.
However, it seems that Oscar passed away in 1930, because in that census, his name is missing, and Elin is registred as widow, with the year 1930 given as the year when that happened. That also fits with a postcard from New Year 1929/30, on which Gerda writes to her brother Gustaf: "I called Elin yesterday, it seems to be the same with Oscar. I intend to go visit them [soon]. Elin wanted me to come before anyone else and see what I think."
This helps me date the photo from Ester's shop to the late 1920s (while Oscar was still alive). My guess is that it's probably from before Gerda started working for the Bernadottes (the autumn of 1928), as she most likely saw more of Oscar and Elin while she was still at Sturefors castle near Linköping (which is not very far from Norrköping).
Whether the bus photo is from the same occasion as the visit to Ester's confectionery shop I don't know, but I would say the late 1920s or early 1930s seems likely for that, too.
Here's another group of people waiting by a big car. I'm afraid have no clue to the context. If Gerda is in the picture herself, she must be third from the left. But I'm not sure if it really is her.
Another photo with a car - this one driving out through a portal with a royal symbol on top. It has to be the symbol of Gustaf V, who became king in 1907. In 1907, Gerda was still living in Chicago, though. She didn't return to Sweden until 1911 - and it wasn't until 1928 that she started working for Folke and Estelle Bernadotte (related to the royal family). But the car looks more like it belongs in the first decade of the century. Considering that Gerda was again living abroad (in France) between 1913-1919, I'd date the photo to between 1911-1913. In 1912-13 she was working as lady's maid to a member of the Swedish aristocracy (Adele de la Gardie), and I suppose that might have involved a visit to one of the royal palaces as well.
Another photo I've been pondering about without being able to identify neither place nor people is this one:
It looks like a 'tourist' tour of a park belonging to a palace or similar; but I find nothing conclusive to even tell me for sure if it's in Sweden or abroad. Judging by the clothes I'd say 1920s or early 30s. If Gerda is in the picture, I'd say she's either the one in dark coat at the back of the line, or else the one turning her back to the camera (admiring the view).
I'm not likely to ever know for sure; but if anything rings a bell with anyone, please share :)
Linking to Sepia Saturday 638
SVENSKA
Inspirationsbilden från Sepia Saturday den här veckan fick mig att gå tillbaka och leta upp några foton i Gerdas fotoalbum.
1. Texten på sidan av bussen ger åtminstone en ledtråd till platsen: Mullsjö är ett samhälle ca 2,5 mil nordväst om Jönköping, och Liared är en annan ort i samma trakt.
Gerdas syster Ester (född 1876, död 1959) bodde i Mullsjö. Hon var fem år äldre än Gerda, och liksom Gerda gifte hon sig aldrig. Jag kan inte påstå att jag känner igen någondera av kvinnorna på buss-fotot som Gerda eller Ester, men eftersom fotot är suddigt är det svårt att säga säkert.
2. Ester hade en blomsteraffär i Mullsjö, och senare en konfektyrbutik. (Under en övergångsperiod kan den ha varit både-och.) 2013 identifierade en släkting kvinnan bakom disken på fotot som Ester, och butiken som hennes konfektyraffär. Han sa ingenting om kunderna på bilden, men jag har senare kommit att känna igen både mannen och kvinnan från andra fotografier i Gerdas album, och har kommit slutsatsen att de måste vara Gerdas och Esters bror Oscar och hans fru Elin, som bodde i Norrköping.
Oscar var själv handelsman. Jag har fått berättat för mig att han i början av 1900-talet förestod en lanthandel i Odensberg, filial sin svågers i Floby. Jag vet inte exakt när Oscar och Elin flyttade till Norrköping (kanske kan jag lista ut det från vykorten sända till Gustaf i Amerika), men nyligen hittade jag dem folkbokförda i Norrköping i de svenska folkräkningarna från 1910 och 1930. I folkräkningen 1910 står Oscar som 'handlande'.
Det verkar dock som att Oscar avled 1930, för i den folkräkningen saknas hans namn och Elin står upptagen som änka, med ”upplösningsår” (av äktenskapet) angivet till 1930. Detta stämmer med ett vykort från Gerda till Gustaf från nyåret 1929/30, där hon skriver: ”Jag ringde till Elin igår, det är visst detsamma med Oscar. Jag tänker resa dit en dag. Elin ville att jag skulle komma innan någon annan och se vad jag tycker.”
Detta hjälper mig att datera fotot från Esters butik till slutet av 1920-talet (medan Oscar fortfarande levde). Jag skulle gissa att det är från innan hon började arbeta för Bernadottes (hösten 1928), eftersom det är troligt att hon träffade Oscar och Elin oftare medan hon fortfarande arbetade på Sturefors slott nära Linköping (som ju inte ligger så långt från Norrköping).
Om fotot med Mullsjö-bussen är från samma tillfälle som besöket i Esters butik vet jag inte, men jag skulle gissa på sent 20-tal eller tidigt 30-tal för det fotot också.
3. Vad gäller fotot med en grupp personer poserande vid en stor bil har jag ingen ledtråd till sammanhanget. Om Gerda själv är med på fotot bör hon vara nr 3 från vänster. Men jag är inte helt säker på om det är hon.
4. Nästa foto visar en bil som kör ut genom en portal som kröns av en kunglig symbol. Symbolen måse avse Gustaf V, som blev kung 1907. Då bodde Gerda fortfarande i Chicago. Hon återvänd till Sverige först 1911, och det var inte förrän 1928 som hon började arbeta för Folke och Estelle Bernadotte (besläktade med kungahuset). Bilen ser dock ut att vara av tidigare modell. Med tanke på att Gerda under åren 1913-19 återigen bodde utomlands (Frankrike), så skulle jag datera det här fotot till 1911-13. 1912-13 arbetade hon som kammarjungfru till Adele de la Gardie, medlem av en svensk adelsfamilj. Jag antar att detta kan ha medfört besök på något av de kungliga slotten.
5. Det sista fotot ser ut att vara från typ en guidad tur i en slottspark. Min första association var att det var från någonstans i Sverige, men det kan kanske lika gärna vara utomlands. Att döma av kläderna skulle jag återigen säga 20- eller tidigt 30-tal. Om Gerda själv är med på kortet så borde hon vara antingen damen i mörk kappa långt bak i ledet, eller också den som vänder ryggen till (och beundrar utsikten).
Jag lär aldrig få veta säkert; men om någon tycker sig känna igen någonting, så hör gärna av er!
Well, that's an interesting batch of photos of mostly unknown places, with mostly unknown people! A tickle to my funny bone, since so many photos do have that attribute, and I'm glad you shuffled these into this post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Barbara. I'll probably never be able to identify all the photos in Gerda's albums (nor in my grandmother's). But I've still come a long way from when I first found it, and didn't even know who the album had once belonged to!
DeleteI was thinking the same thing as Barbara - such a lot of unidentified photos that would be so wonderful to have identified.
ReplyDeleteKristin, as I replied to Barbara above, I've still learned to recognize more people and places in the old family albums now compared to from when I first inherited them!
DeleteI've found the link here before with the town of Norrkoping through my Great Grandmother, Johanna Magdalena Hedman who lived in Norrkoping until, at age 11, she emigrated with her parents to Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm guessing this was around 1882 so she was likely gone from Norrkoping by the time Oscar and Elin lived there? Johanna was of similar age with Oscar, however, having been born around 1871.
ReplyDeleteLaN, Oscar is one of my grandmother's half-siblings that I never heard much (if anything) about. I realise now that he died before my father was born, and probably even my grandmother (born 1900) hardly ever met him in person.
DeleteAt least you can identify the people in the wonderful photo of the confectionary shop. I complain about unidentified photos, but know I am guilty as well.
ReplyDeleteKathy, in spite of always adding notes in my photo albums (until I went all digital) I'm probably guilty of that as well, as the notes we make tend to be for ourselves rather than to explain things for future generations.
DeleteI always enjoy reading about your detective work, triangulating faces, places, and dates in old photos, even when there is still uncertainty. Your last one is a perfect match for our theme as the people look as if they are all waiting for a bus. The park/garden definitely looks like it belongs to a grand house and not a public park, as the pathway and shrubbery are too well manicured for ordinary folk.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. In my head keep trying to match the layout of that park with some of that kind that I've visited myself. Aside from the fact that I haven't visited all that many, there is also the time factor, though... ;) (With a view of the house/palace itself in the background, it might be somewhat easier!)
DeleteWhat a treasure trove old family albums are. I have several full of photos with absolutely no idea who the people are, but it is fascinating to look at the clothing styles of the time. I do wish that our forebears realised that we would be wanting to know 100 years later.
ReplyDelete