Sally and her House - Sepia Saturday 765

Last week I posted three photos of my grandmother Sally celebrating her 50th, 60th and 70th birthday. Below are some photos of her in more of an "everyday" context, and I think all from the 1960s. 

This photo is of my grandparents Sally and Gustaf sitting in their garden - the photo probably taken by my dad. Gustaf, born 1904, died in 1969 of Parkinsons' disease, which he had by then suffered from for a number of years. My guess is that this photo is from the early/mid 1960s. There is a very similar photo in an album, obviously taken at the same time - but there is no note of the year there either.

Here we have Sally sitting at her kitchen table, drinking coffee. Probably early/mid 1960s, and I'm guessing it was Gustaf who took the photo. It's typical of how I remember the kitchen from my childhood. The sofa was painted red. To the left of where Sally is sitting is a tiny sink. Dishes  were always washed and dried directly after a meal, as there was no place for a dish rack. (And no other "work surfaces" either - the kitchen table was also used for preparing meals and baking etc.) 

 

On a sunny day in the summer, they loved to have coffee outdoors in the garden. From my early childhood I remember the garden table being placed in an arbour of lilac bushes, but I don't think I have any photo of that. The house back then was painted dark brown. In the early 1970s, after the death of my grandfather, my dad had the facade clad with some maintenance-free yellow material, though (but still looking much like wood). 

In this photo I think Sally looks much like in the one from her 70th birthday, and I'm guessing this was taken after Gustaf died. Here too, she is sitting next to the kitchen sink. 

On the wall behind her, in both kitchen photos, you can see a small mirror. Before my dad had some updates made to the house in the 1970s, the only WC (+ a bath tub, but no sink for just washing your hands) was down in the cellar. (They also had an outhouse, which was still used in the summers.) There was also a small sink in one of the two bedrooms upstairs - which back in the 1930s had been another kitchen. The house, built in 1930, originally had two flats, each consisting of one room + one kitchen. The first few years, Sally and Gustaf - and my dad, born 1931 - lived downstairs; and Sally's sister Hildur + her husband Olle + Sally's and Hildur's mother Selma lived upstairs. Later, Hildur and Olle built their own house nearby, and their room became Sally's and Gustaf's bedroom. And after Selma died, the upstairs kitchen became my dad's bedroom. Anyway... Still in my childhood, the kitchen sink and mirror were also used for washing your hands and face, shaving, fixing your hair, or whatever.

After the death of my grandfather, my dad had a WC + sink installed in the wardrobe of the living room downstairs for my grandmother (who then also preferred to sleep in the kitchen); and another WC in a wardrobe upstairs, between the two rooms there which we used when visiting her. 

The last years of her life, Sally moved to an old people's home in the village, but sometimes visited the house with us when we were there. We kept the house as a holiday house; and in the early 1990s, my parents added a substantial extension - including new kitchen and proper bathroom and large new living room downstairs + upstairs a large home office for my dad - and moved there for their own retirement years. Below is a collage showing what the house looked like when my brother and I finally sold it in 2014. The old kitchen was to the left of the new entrance seen in the top photo. (The two very small windows belonged to the original pantry.)

PS. Considering this weeks photo prompt for Sepia Saturday, maybe I should add a comment that Sally kept her hair naturally dark, and also long, well into her 70s. Only in her last few years did it turn grey, and then, while living in the old people's home, she also had it cut short and permed!

Linking to Sepia Saturday 765

Nils the Bus Driver - Sepia Saturday 681

 

I recently found (or re-found) this photo of my grandmother Sally's younger brother Nils as a bus driver. I recall being told in the past that he worked both as a bus driver and a taxi driver. I don't know the exact year when this photo was taken, but I'd say around 1930 (give or take a few years). From the text on the bus I can see that it ran between the centre of the town of Borås and one of its outskirts (Hestra) - which in those days must have been more of a rural area than it is today.  

Last year in my online searches I found a population census from 1930. It must have been carried out in the month of December that year, as it has my newly-wed (since September 1930) grandparents Gustaf and Sally settled in their new house, Nils and his Carin (married 30 November) at another address, but their older sister Hildur still living at the farm, listed as unmarried (she and her fiancé Olle got married on 30 December that year, and then moved into the upstairs flat in my grandparents' new house). 

Nils was born in 1902, and lived on the family farm until he got married (28 years old). In the 1930 census, his profession is listed as "driver" (not specified whether taxi or bus, so it may have been both), and on the side also working at a driving school, teaching others to drive. The same census also contains the information that back in 1925 his main occupation was farm work. So evidently it was between then and 1930 that he sought a new career. I've also already concluded from Sally's letters that in 1930, he must have had a car (or at least access to one). 

Nils' wife Carin was born in 1903, in the province of Småland. How or where she and Nils first met, I don't think I've ever heard,  but I think she probably moved to Borås to work in one of its many textile factories. According to the church record of their wedding, she was a seamstress. Oddly the 1930 census does not mention her occupation, even though it does state an annual income - it just has her down as "married" and "wife".  I don't know if she gave up her job already in connection with her marriage; but about a year later, their first son was born, and followed by two more sons and one daughter over the next few years - so from then on I guess she was probably busy enough "just" being a housewife. 

Their oldest son (Sten) was born only a couple of months after my dad, towards the end of 1931; and their next son only a year after that. I've been told that in their childhood, Sten periodically stayed with my grandparents and my dad (who was an only child), to ease the situation for his own parents a bit during the years when they had three or four young ones. Sally and Gustaf did not get any more children; but my dad and Sten remained rather close throughout life, and he was also almost like an uncle to my brother and me. He was a journalist, and when I've thought about it in later years, I guess he may have been influenced by my grandfather in that choice of career. He did not have any children of his own, but several nieces and nephews (the children of his younger brothers), and also still kept in touch with me even after my dad died. And when Sten died in 2016, I attended his funeral.

In my dad's and his cousins' childhood, the extended family had a tradition of coming together most years at midsummer at my grandparents' house and garden. Midsummer Eve (back then always on 23 June) also happened to be my grandfather Gustaf's birthday. There are quite a few photos in the old albums to confirm that these family gatherings were a recurring tradition. Most of those also include some people I can't identify - but I think they were Carin's siblings, with spouses and children.  

In this photo from 1937 we have Nils on the left, probably holding his youngest son Olof. (The daughter Marianne was not born yet.) I suppose it must be Carin to the right of them, even if I can't say I quite recognise her here. Of the three boys standing in front it's my dad (Bertil) to the right, probably Sten in the middle and his younger brother Bernt to the left. Behind my dad is their grandmother Selma; on her left her daughter Hildur; and behind Hildur to the left her husband Olle. Behind Selma to the right is my grandmother Sally. The rest of the faces unknown to me. My grandfather Gustaf is not in the picture - I assume he was behind the camera.

This one is from 1939. Here my grandfather Gustaf is in the picture, on the far right, next to Nils. Hildur in front of them, and her husband Olle on the far left. In front of him my dad - wearing glasses now. Probably Sten next to him and Bernt behind (one step up?) - not all easy to tell them apart at that age, though! The woman standing with a baby on her arm is Carin, with daughter Marianne. Sally's face in the middle of the back row; and Selma in the row below, wearing glasses. 

Collage of three more similar photos from 1940, 1941 and 1942, just to show that the summer reunion  tradition continued. (In the top one my dad is half hidden behind one of the other boys.)

Linking to Sepia Saturday 681

SVENSKA

Det första fotot är av min farmor Sallys yngre bror Nils som busschaufför, ca 1930. Bussen  gick mellan Borås centrum och området Hestra (som på den tiden måste ha varit ganska lantligt). 

Den svenska folkräkningen från 1930 måste i den här delen av landet måste ha utförts i december månad, ty av densamma framgår att Gustaf och Sally (som gifte sig i september) nu var bosatta på Nysäter, medan Nils och Carin (som gifte sig 30 november) var registrerade på adress Öreberg, men Hildur fortfarande bor kvar på Storegården. (Hon och Olle gifte sig 30 december 1930, och flyttade då in på övervåningen i mina farföräldrars hus.) 

Nils var född 1902 och bodde på Storegården tills han gifte sig vid 28 års ålder. I folkräkningen 1930 anges hans yrke som chaufför, med bisyssla “bilskola”. (Jag tror att han förutom buss även körde taxi.) Samma folkräkning innehåller också uppgiften att han 1925 var "jordbruksarbetare".

Nils hustru Carin var född 1903 i Lenhovda i Kronobergs län. Var och hur hon och Nils träffades vet jag inte, men antagligen flyttade hon till Borås för att arbeta på någon av textilfabrikerna. I vigselregistret anges att hon var sömmerska. I folkräkningen 1930 står hon bara som "gift", och “mor/fru”. Om hon fortsatte att arbeta under första året som gift vet jag inte. Deras förste son föddes i slutet av 1931 och sedan fick de ytterligare tre barn (totalt tre söner och en dotter) ganska tätt, så snart lär hon i alla fall ha haft fullt upp som hemmafru.

Äldste sonen Sten föddes bara ett par månader efter min pappa (Bertil). De två kom att stå varandra ganska nära under hela livet. Efter vad jag hört berättas, så bodde Sten periodvis hos mina farföräldrar i barndomen, som avlastning för Carin och Nils. (Min pappa var enda barnet.) Sten blev till yrket journalist, och jag tänker att han kanske påverkades i sitt yrkesval av Gustaf (min farfar).

I min pappas och hans kusiners barndom var det tradition att familjerna/släkten samlades hos mina farföräldrar vid midsommar. (Midsommarafton, som på den tiden alltid firades den 23 juni, var också min farfars födelsedag.) Ett antal gruppfoton bekräftar denna tradition. Med på dessa är också en del personer som jag inte kan identifiera – antagligen Carins syskon med familjer.

New House, New Life - Sepia Saturday 670

In last week's post, I showed a photo of my grandparents (Sally & Gustaf) at the well on the property where they were going to build their house. My grandfather purchased the plot in March, and the well was finished towards the end of April. A few months later (late summer or early autumn) the house was "taking shape". I'm guessing that this photo was taken as part of celebrating having got the roof in place. It was probably my grandfather who took the photo, as he's not in the picture himself.

Family gathered at the New House (in progress), late summer 1930. Standing: Olle (engaged to Sally's sister Hildur), Sally, Mother Selma, Carin & Nils (Sally's brother and his fiancée). Sitting: Gustav (older half-brother to Sally and Nils), Hildur - and I think probably a brother of Carin's to the right (he looks vaguely familiar to me).

(Unless, possibly the unknown man is the builder? I know they had one, by name of Richard Andersson, as I have his bill, or receipt, for the finished work...)

The finished house (year unknown) 

Olle, Hildur's fiancé, may have helped with details on the house too, I suppose, as he was a carpenter by trade - and for the first few years, he and Hildur would be living there too. From what my father told me in the past, I know that originally, the house had two flats: One room + kitchen downstairs and the same (somewhat smaller) upstairs. Sally and Gustaf (who got married towards the end of September 1930) moved into the downstairs flat. (From about a year after their wedding also shared by baby Bertil, my father.) And a few months later, newly wed Hildur and Olle moved into the upstairs flat, together with Mother Selma (who slept in the upstairs kitchen). 

I'm not sure exactly how long they all continued to live together in the same house - maybe a few years. Olle and Hildur then built their own house only a few minutes walk away; so the two families always remained very close. (Hildur and Olle never had children of their own.) Selma I think alternated between living with her daughters in winter, and spending the summers in the small cottage on the farm (which I think was hers for the duration of her life). She lived until 1941 so was very much part of the household during my dad's early childhood. After Hildur and Olle moved to their own house, Sally and Gustaf made the upstairs room their bedroom; and later, the upstairs kitchen was converted to a bedroom for my dad.

Below is the last letter in my collection of letters written from Sally to Gustaf in 1929/30, between their engagement and wedding. It has no date, so I've been hesitating about exactly where it belongs in the chronology. But most likely it was written while it was still wintry; as gloves, socks and firewood are mentioned. The most interesting part is that it shows some of Sally's "mixed feelings" about the upcoming changes in her life after their marriage. She realises that in his career as a journalist, Gustaf has to meet and mix with "all sorts" of people - and is sometimes also expected to socialise in contexts in which she herself will feel timid and not quite comfortable...

Storegården, Thursday night

Darling!

Now you'll be getting a letter anyway, but it won't be a long one this time either. And please excuse me for writing in pencil. As you know, I have no ink here in our room, and I don't want to go into the men's room tonight, so I use what I have. It's past 9:30 pm and I'm rather tired. I've had a busy day, sewing gloves and also on that dress I was working on last night.

Olle is here working tonight and Hildur has gone down to him, so Mum and I are alone at the moment, and I'm grabbing the opportunity to write to you.

Have you heard anything more about Mr & Mrs K's party? I've been contemplating today whether I should come with you or not. I guess we'll talk more about it on Sunday. Of course I'd like to accompany you for your sake, and perhaps in a way it would be good for me as well. I suppose I must try to overcome my shyness at least to some degree. I guess sooner or later I'll have to get used to meeting ”society” ladies and gentlemen, even if the thought of it intimidates me a little.

I too am looking forward to the day we'll be united; but my joy is also mixed with some apprehension at the thought of my responsibility to be a good wife to you. With the help of God I still want to get started, and if I can only trust in that, I know I shall succeed. I'll leave both of us in his hands.

I would have written more, but I can't tonight, I'm so tired.

Lots of love from your Sally 

PS. Gustav won't be going into town until Tuesday or Wednesday next week, Miss L does not want any potatoes until then. I hope you'll be all right for firewood until then.

Mum sends her love. It's now past 11 but she is still knitting away at her socks. The sound of the spinning wheel has stopped for tonight.

Linking to Sepia Saturday 670 

(because sometimes you feel like crawling into a corner and hide - but you know you can't...!)

Storegården torsdag kväll

Älskade!

Nu får Du allt brev ändå. Men det blir inte långt denna gången heller. Och så får Du vara snäll och förlåta att jag skriver med blyerts. Jag har, som du vet, inget bläck här inne i vårt rum, och jag vill inte gå in åt herrummet i kväll, utan då tog jag vad jag hade. --- Kl är ju också redan över ½ 10 och jag börjar vara en smula trött. Jag har haft så bråttom i dag. Har sytt dels på vantarna och dels på den där klädningen jag höll på med i går kväll.

I kväll är Olle här och arbetar. Hildur har gått ner till honom nu så mamma och jag äro ensamma för tillfället, och därför skulle jag passa på och skriva till Dig.

Har Du hört något närmare sedan om Herrskapet K---'s förestående bjudning? Vet du, jag har tänkt mycket på det i dag om jag skall följa med Dig dit eller ej. Vi få väl tala mera om det på söndag. --- Nog skulle jag gärna vilja gå med för Din skull, och kanske vore det bra för mig också på sätt och vis. Jag måste väl försöka att övervinna blygheten åtminstone i någon mån. Och jag måste väl också en gång för eller senare sammanträffa med respektive societetsdamer och dito herrar, kan jag tro, fastän jag bävar en smula vid blotta tanken därpå.

--- Jag emotser, även jag, med glädje den dag då vi skola förenas. Dock är ju glädjen blandad med en viss bävan vid tanke på det ansvar som vilar på mig som en god maka åt Dig. Med Guds hjälp vill jag likväl börja och kan jag blott fullt och fast lita därpå, vet jag också att jag skall lyckas. I hans händer vill jag lämna oss båda.

Jag skulle skrivit mera men det går inte i kväll, jag är så trött nu.

Hjärtevarma hälsningar, Din Sally

Gustav reser inte till stan förrän på tisdag eller onsdag i nästa vecka. Fröken Larsson vill ingen potatis ha förr. Hoppas att Du klarar Dig med ved till dess.

Mamma hälsar. Kl är över 11 nu men mamma stickar lika flitigt på sina strumpor. Spolrocken har tystnat för i kväll. 

Aerial Photography - Sepia Saturday 658

 

Flygbild av Mullsjö 

Aerial Photo from Mullsjö

ÄKTA FOTOGRAFI 
Ensamrätt
A/B Almquist & Cäster, Hälsningborg
Ahrenbergsflyg

GENUINE PHOTOGRAPH
Exclusive rights

This postcard was sent to my great-grandmother Selma for Mother's Day in May 1937, from her step-daughter Ester (one my grandmother Sally's older half-sisters), living in Mullsjö - a village by a lake with the same name, located some 25 km north-west of Jönköping.

At first glance, a postcard like this looks rather dull to me - but when I started thinking about it, it struck me that aerial photography like this was probably still rather new in Sweden in 1937.

The name of the company "Ahrenbergsflyg" took me to a Swedish Wikipedia article about Albin Ahrenberg, 1889-1968. Leaving military aviation in 1924 he started his own company, with flights for postal services and aerial photography. In 1929 he planned a flight from Stockholm to New York, via Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and the Labrador region of Canada. He got as far as Greenland - but was forced to return to Sweden from there (by boat), because of technical trouble.

In 1931, he returned to Greenland to help search for an English meterological research expedition that had gone missing there. He was successful and returned a hero this time. 

Later on, during WWII, he served again in some military position, with surveillance of the Stockholm archipelago. (I'm afraid my knowledge of military terms and organisation is not sufficient - in either language! - to quite grasp the details.) 

Anyway - the story serves to support my thought that back in 1937, a black and white aerial photo of a countryside village probably still seemed a lot more impressive to the recipient than it would today!

In 1937, Selma was 76 years old, and living with her daughter and son-in-law (my grandparents Sally and Gustaf), and her grandson Bertil (my father, 6 going on 7 that year). 

And below is an aerial photo of the house to which the card was sent. It's the house that my grandparents built, and moved into in 1930, when they got married. 

I'm not sure whether that photo is from the 1930s, 40s or 50s, though. (It was obviously black and white with the colours added to it afterwards.) When my brother and I sold the house in 2014 (rather different-looking by then - twice as big, and yellow), we left the original of this photo hanging in the house for the new owners, as we don't have a younger generation of family to pass it on to anyway.

"Aero Foto Vetlanda"

Linking to Sepia Saturday 658