Sepia Saturday 826: Stormy Weather at Varberg (Repost)

This is a modified repost of an early post on this blog, from 2012-02-21 .

Varberg: Hamnpiren i storm. / Varberg: The Pier in storm.
Publisher: Vilén & Johanson, Borås 

Varberg 6/8 (1903). Heartfelt thanks for the postcard. Yesterday there was quite a storm here. Rather beautiful to behold. Mother does not have to be anxious about us going out on the sea, because that is impossible. Otherwise we are quite well. Greetings G.J.

This is a card that seems to fall outside my own family history. My great-uncle Gustaf (in whose postcard album the card is found) probably got it second-hand later in life, from some friend who knew he collected postcards. In August 1903, Gustaf was living in America; but he returned to Sweden in 1910. This card was written by a  G.J. to an J.A. Johanson. My guess is that J.A. was the sender's mother, as it was common in Sweden back then to address your parents “in the third person” rather than using “you”. 

The card shows quite a magnificent picture of stormy weather at the pier in Varberg, a town on the west coast in the county of Halland. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into the Bohuslän archipelago.

Varberg is still a popular summer and spa resort for  people living further inland. Its reputation as a spa resort was founded in the early/mid 19th century. The railway line between Varberg and Borås was established in 1880. The town has an old fortress from around 1280-1300; now museum + hostel.

Below are my own photos from a visit there in 2001 - in not so stormy weather...

1. The Fort
2. The Pier
3. A beach beneath the fort, with an old wooden bathhouse

Linking to Sepia Saturday 826

G.014.1 Varberg (ca 1902)

Badhuset & fästningen. Varberg. Foto & Förlag: Math. Ranch.
Open air swimming bath & Fortress, Varberg.
Compare also G.002-2 Stormy Weather at Varberg

To: Herr Gustav Ekman, Storeg, Fristad
From: E Larson

Många helsningar till eder alla. Lycklig resa. Allt väl, imorgon får vi börja knoga. Det käns lite underligt att vara här igen men det går väl. Tre månader sedan kommer vi tillbaka till Fristad. Gustav kommer väl hit en gång snart, det skulle vara mycke roligt. Många hjertliga helsningar till eder samtliga från E Larson. – Skriv snart. -

Ännu ett vykort från E Larson, ‘volontär’ i Varberg. Jämför kort nr G.013.1 Kanske är detta det första kortet? Svårt att säga då datum saknas på båda. Å andra sidan skriver han nu att han är där “igen” vilket skulle kunna tyda på att han varit hemma i Fristad på permission.

In English

Another postcard from E Larson, army volunteer at Varberg (compare G.013.1) Possibly this card was written before the other one, it’s hard to tell as the date is missing from both.

Greetings to you all. The journey went well. Tomorrow it’s back to work. Feels a bit odd to be back but it will be all right. Three months and then we’re back in Fristad. I hope Gustav will come and visit soon, that would be fun. Many heartfelt greetings to all of you from E Larson. Write soon.

G.002-2 Stormy Weather at Varberg

Varberg: Hamnpiren i storm. / Varberg: The Pier in storm.
Förlag: Vilén & Johanson, Borås¹

Poststämplar/postmarks:
PLK 208 B (=Herrljunga-Varberg) 6.8.1903
Borås 6.8.03 – 2 tur
Porto: 5 öre
Till/to: J.A. Johanson, Lugnet 51, Borås
Från/from: G.J. (?)

Varberg 6/8. Hjärtligt tack för brefkortet. Igår var här en väldig storm. Ganska vackert att se. Mamma behöfver ej vara orolig att vi gå på sjön, ty det är omöjligt. Vi mår eljest ganska bra. Helsn. G.J.

Det här är ett kort som inte verkar passa in i familjehistorien. Varken Gustaf eller Gerda kan vara inblandade, eftersom de 1903 befann sig i Amerika. Till skillnad från de flesta korten i albumet är frimärket kvar. Jag gissar att Gustaf kan ha fått kortet senare av någon som visste att han samlade på kort.

¹ En sökning på utgivarnamnet Vilén & Johanson visar att det fortfarande finns ett bolag registrerat med det namnet (i Mölndal), men ej aktivt. Registrerat som aktiebolag 1929 med syfte att “bedriva handel med pappersvaror, emballage och kontorsutensilier jämte därmed förenlig verksamhet”.

 

In English:

Varberg 6/8 (1903). Heartfelt thanks for the postcard. Yesterday there was quite a storm here. Rather beautiful to behold. Mother does not have to be anxious about us going out on the sea, because that is impossible. Otherwise we are quite well. Greetings G.J.

This is a card that seems to fall outside the family history.  Gustaf probably got it second-hand later in life – perhaps from some friend who knew he collected postcards? In August 1903, both Gustaf and his sister Gerda were in America; and this card seems to have been sent from some G.J. to J.A. Johanson, possibly his/her mother. (I think it was usual in Sweden back then to address your parents “in the third person” rather than using “you”.) The name rings no bells with me.

Johanson is a very common surname or it might have been interesting to note that this is also the name of one of the publishers of the postcard – Vilén & Johanson. The company still exists but is not active.

The postcard shows quite a magnificent picture of stormy weather at the pier in Varberg, though.

Varberg is a town on the west coast in the county of Halland. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into the Bohuslän archipelago.

Varberg is still a popular summer and spa resort for  people living further inland. It’s reputation as a spa resort was founded in the early/mid 19th century. The railway line between Varberg and Borås was established in 1880. The town has an old fortress from around 1280-1300; now museum + bed and breakfast.

Below are my own photos of the pier and the fortress from 2001. (In not so stormy weather!)