If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 660

 

 

 

 

 

Skiens Kirke, Norway, 1933

 

On the front bottom margin of this used Eneret:J.H.Koenholdt postcard is:  3655 Skiens Kirke [Skien’s Church] together with the postcard photographer-printer’s name.  The black & white picture is of the red brick parish church located in the town of Skien, Norway.  The card was sent to Petra Lee as a Christmas and New Year greeting from I.C. Lee’s sister, Ingeborg Hvalen, postmarked 30 December 1933.

 

This church was built in 1894 and is shaped like a Latin cross with two towers.  It is 154 ft or 47 m long with the towers 223 ft or 68 m high.  Located on a ridge overlooking the harbor it is impressive.  One of Norway’s largest organs with 5000 pipes is found here.  The primary artistic decorations are in the form of stained-glass windows and painted ornamentation on the walls and ceilings.

 

There was an earlier church here that was partly destroyed by fire in 1777 and restored.  Another fire in 1886 burned the church again and this time it was not salvageable.  Only the baptismal font, the holy vessels, two gilded wooden figures and the altar piece could be saved.  An interim church was erected and used between 1886 and 1894 when the red brick church was finally completed.  The interim church was later converted to a school building, then demolished in 2011.  There have been several maintenance repairs since this church was built, the most recent one involved replacing the brick façade in 2004.

 

 

 

The stamps are ones often seen on letters and cards from the 1930s.  The cancellation mark was clearer than some others, making it easy to date the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/Skien_Church

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 562

 

 

 

 

 

Tromsø, Troms and Finnmark, Norway 

 

This picture of a postcard was sent by a Norwegian cousin who had visited here recently.  The photograph shows the city of Tromsø located in northern Norway. 

 

Tromsø is a city north of the Arctic Circle in Troms and Finmark county.  The city center is on the island of Tromsøya but the urban area is also found on the mainland.  Connections between the island and the mainland are by the Tromsø Bridge, seen in the photo, and the Tromsøysund Tunnel.  It is also connected to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge.  The westerlies and a branch of the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Drift, make the climate milder here than most other settlements this far north.   Because it is so far north it experiences the midnight sun and the polar night depending on the season.

 

This area of Norway has been inhabited since the end of the Ice Age.  Some archeological excavations have turned up remains of buildings and artifacts 9,000 to 10,000 years old.  In the 890s the Norse chieftain Ohthere, who lived near the southernmost part of Tromsø, described himself as living furthest to the “North of all Norwegians.”  Places north of this are populated by the Sámi.  The first church on the island was built in 1252.  King Christian VII issued the Tromsø city charter in 1794.  With Bergen no longer holding a monopoly in the fishing of cod, this far northern city quickly rose in importance.  By 1900 it had become a major Arctic trade center.  Explorers Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile and Fridtjof Nansen recruited their crews and started their expeditions from here.

 

One of the largest groups of historic wooden houses dating from 1789 to 1904 north of Trondheim co-exist with modern architecture.  Wooden houses were banned in the early 1900s from the city center in several Norwegian cities, most likely due to fire danger.  Several festivals are held in the city during the summer.  Today tourism has exploded as an economic resource.

 

The Sámi are among the prominent minorities in this area of Norway.  There is a Sámi People’s Day and signs at the university are bilingual.  There has been a controversial attempt to get all public signage in both Norwegian and Sámi.  However, in 2013 the city agreed with the Sámi Parliament to strengthen Sámi language and culture in Tromsø.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troms%C3%B8

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 530

 

 

 

 

 

Aurland, Norway

 

This used Normann color photo postcard has the number 631 at the upper right corner on the reverse.  The picture shows the community of Vangen and the fjord.  When Dick Thompson and his sister Anna visited this area in 1951 they met with a cousin, Monrad Johnsen and his family.  Monrad sent this card with a Christmas greeting to Dick in 1958. 

 

Like many of the picturesque communities in Norway, Vangen is small, with the buildings clustered around the fjord and hugging the mountainsides.  The largest building in the center of the picture is the 800 year old Vangen church.  The style of the church is attributed to the English merchants who used to stay in Aurland for long periods to buy different goods and they helped build the church.  The building is described as an early Gothic style.  There have been several restorations with the most radical changes made in the 1860s.  The most recent renovation was in 1926.  The stained glass windows were made by the Norwegian artist, Emanuel Vigeland.  The pulpit and candlesticks date from the 1600s.  The church is open to the public with no fee.

 

Although it cannot be told from the picture on the card, the fjord is long, 18 miles or 29 km, and narrow with a depth of 3,156 ft or 963 m.  It is less than 2 km or 1.2 miles wide.  The mountains surrounding the fjord are steep, rising to about 5,900 ft or 1,800 m.  There are other villages along the fjord in small valleys.  Large sections of the fjord are part of the West Norwegian Fjords UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

 

Monrad Johnsen was the son of Eli Andersen Johnsen sister to Dick’s mother, Sigrid Berentine Andersdatter Thompson.  He was a teacher at the agricultural college in Aurland.  Dick noted in his Scrapbook that Monrad was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit during World War II.

 

Marie and Monrad Johnsen, 1955

 

 

For more information about Aurlandsfjord, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org./wiki/Aurlandsfjord

If this Thursday it must be postcards, 519

 

 

 

 

 

Near Voss, Norway, ca 1950

 

Another Normann postcard from Dick Thompson’s Scrapbook, this one has a photograph of the countryside near Voss.  The title and the number 11-54-31 appear at the lower left.  Normann’s signature logo is at the lower right.

 

It is possible to see that every inch of arable land is used no matter how steep it may be.  A tourist hotel is in the background but not easily seen in the photograph.  When Dick traveled to Norway in the 1950s, he stayed here for a few days.  Voss is on the rail route between Oslo and Bergen.  There are many scenic places and waterfalls along that route.  Trains and tourist buses often stop at Voss and Flåm so that tourists can take pictures.  One of the sights along the way is the magnificent waterfall, Tvindefossen.  The falls attract thousands of visitors per year.  When we visited Norway in 2014, my cousin and her husband drove us down the western coast of Norway from Ørsta to Hornnes.  Along the way we had the pleasure of stopping to see Tvindefossen as well as several other waterfalls.  

 

 

Tvindefossen, 2014.  Tourist buses can be seen at the right near the fencing.

 

 

Tvindefossen, closer view, 2014
 

There is a parking area for cars and buses.  A path allows visitors to walk up to the foot of the falls, where it is possible to enjoy the cool breeze and light mist coming from the falls.  

 

Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers.  It is a popular tourist area and is notable as a center for skiing, water sports, skydiving, paragliding and adventure sports.  The Voss Museum has outdoor displays of old farmsteads as well as an indoor displays from traditional farm life.

 

For more information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tvindefossen

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 518

 

 

 

 

Tunnel between Bulken and Hodnaberg, Norway, ca 1950

These two Normann postcards were part of the Dick Thompson Scrapbook Collection.  They were glued onto the page and could not be removed without causing severe damage.  The caption indicates that the tunnels are on the road between Bulken og Hodnaberg.  The number 11-54-39 is found with the caption at the lower left.

 

There are over 900 tunnels in Norway with 33 of them subsea tunnels.  Until tunnels were built traveling from place to place meant taking many small ferries across fjords or trains around and over the mountains.  When we visited Norway in 2014 we drove through several tunnels including the long Eiksund Tunnel that runs under Vartdalsfjorden connecting Ørsta and Ulstein.  The tunnel is 7,765 meters or 25,476 feet long and goes 942 feet or 287 meters below sea level.  The Eiksund tunnel was part of a large project connecting several islands to the mainland and serves a population of about 40,000.  One of the most amazing things to see, for me, was a roundabout intersection in the tunnel where connecting tunnels joined the main tunnel.  When it first opened Eiksund Tunnel had a toll and the estimated usage of the tunnel was predicted to be 1,000 vehicles per day but that ended up closer to 2200.  After 6 years the tunnel was fully financed and the toll was removed.  The number of vehicles increased to 2880. At the time we drove through the Eiksund Tunnel was the deepest undersea tunnel in the world.  Since that time Norway’s Ryfast tunnel system opened in 2019.  It is slightly deeper at 958 feet or 292 meters. 

 

 

 

Tunnel entrance

 

 

 

The tunnel has colored light bars along the sides and ceiling lights.  These modern new long tunnels are much different than the old tunnels shown on the postcards.

 

 

 Tunnel between Bulken and Hodnaberg, Norway, ca 1950

The title of the photograph and the number 11-54-38 are found at the lower left of the card.

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_subsea_tunnels_in_Norway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tunnels_in_Norway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiksund_Tunnel

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 514

 

 

 

 

 

Ørsta, More og Romsdal, Norway, 1999

 

Two used postcards with views of Ørsta, Norway are shared this week.  We were privileged in 2014 to stay with a cousin who lives in this charming community.  Ørsta is found in the Sunnmøre region of Western Norway in the county of More og Romsdal.  Distributed by Olav Lystad of Ørsta, the card has the number 667.LIX at the lower left corner on the reverse. 

 

My father’s mother, Lil Anna, came from a large family and only a few migrated to America, hence there are many cousins of varying degrees, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc. who still live in Norway and can be found mostly on the western or southern coast.  Eldbjørg and her husband, Hans, were members of a folk dancing group that was on a tour in the United States.  Before they left Norway they contacted me and provided information about where they would be performing with the hope that we could meet in person.  Happily, we were able to watch them dance and also to invite them to our home for a visit the following day before they moved to their next stop.  Luckily, another performance venue was near where my brother lives and he and his family also got to meet and visit with them.  Because my grandmother did not have brothers and sisters living in America my brother and I grew up with only 2 cousins.  Now we have found dozens!

 

 

The museum sign on the side of the building has a map of the farm

Two of the buildings on the museum grounds with sod roofs and grass and even small shrubs growing on top.  The old farmsteads raised the buildings off the ground to prevent rodents from getting into stored items.

 

One of the work rooms in the museum used to teach spinning and weaving

Two of Elbjørg's looms.  She has several looms, at least two at her home and others in storage.  These are set up and students are working on projects.

 

Wreath made from twigs displayed on the side of the museum

 

Ørsta has a population of about 11,000.  It is a beautiful, picturesque fjord hamlet that was part of Volda until it was separated in 1883.  The Brudavoll Farm, part of the Sunnmøre Museum Foundation, is about 3 miles or 5 km from Ørsta.  Eldbjørg is a retired teacher of folk art, mostly weaving, and collects looms.  She volunteers teaching traditional Norwegian weaving at the museum.  The museum grounds also contain several old farm buildings with the traditional sod and grass on the roof. 

 

The main industries include mechanical and furniture manufacturing, fishing, agriculture, and aquaculture.  There is a regional airport that serves several neighboring communities.  Driving through the Eiksund Tunnel, the deepest undersea tunnel at 942 ft or 287 m below the sea surface, was an experience. 

 

 

 

“Light impression of Norway,” undated, ca 1997

 

This second postcard has an aerial view of Ørsta with photo by Per Eide, printed by Hatlehols.  This card has the number 0106 – Ørsta, Norway at the upper left corner on the reverse.

 

For more information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ørsta

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 509

 

 

 

 

 

Bride and Groom wearing traditional wedding costumes, Ulvik, Vestland, Norway, ca 1997

 

This used postcard is a Snorre Natur og Kulturforlaget product with SD140 printed at the bottom edge on the reverse.  The photograph is by Snorre Aske.  A cousin sent this card in 1997.  The blurb at the upper left on the reverse says:  “Traditions are kept up in Norwegian fjords.  You can still see bridal parties arriving at the church by boat.  National costume from Hardanger with gold brooch.  Ulvik.”  The village and Ulvikafjorden, are seen in the background.

 

Norway is divided into fylke or counties.  In 2020 some of the counties were combined and renamed.  The village of Ulvik, situated on an arm of the Hardanger fjord, that was formerly in Hordaland.  Today it is in the new county of Vestland, which resulted from the merging of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane.  This bunad or national costume is slightly different than the one found in the area closer to Bergen where the Landaas family lived.  However, the colors are similar and it has the traditional and distinctive Hardanger cutout embroidery on the bride’s apron.  The beautiful sølje pin seen at the upper right on the card is not only decorative but in times past was functional. There were no buttons on the blouse or vest and the pins were used as fasteners.  The pins are handmade, usually in sterling silver with gold spoons or disks.  Anciently the spoons were supposed reflect the sun and protect the wearer. 

 

The bee and ladybug stamps, issued in1997, are fun and were part of a sheet featuring several different types of insects. 

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulvik_(village)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestland

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 503

 

 

 

 

The Prime Minister Michelsen welcomes the King aboard “Heimdal,” 1905 

 

In a few days it will be time to celebrate Syttende Mai!  Also called Norwegian National Day or Norwegian Constitution Day held annually on 17 May.  The postcards shared this week were sent Petra Landaas Lee.  The cards were part of a 5-postcard set sent to Petra by relatives or friends in Bergen, Norway at the time it separated from Sweden.  This set of cards was distributed by Eneberettiget John Fredrikson’s Eftf, Kunstforlag of Christiania (Oslo).  The photograph shows the new King, Haakon VII, holding his son, the Crown Prince, Olav and shaking the hand of the Prime Minister, Chr. Michelsen. 

 

 Note to Petra on the 5-postcard set flap, 1906

 

An unsigned message penned on the inner fold of the card set says: “Mom and Dad send their heartfelt greetings and thanks for the photographs and cards to you and your husband.  Here you greet your ancestors (relatives).”  The postmark is dated 17 January 1906.  The printed date on the series of cards is 25 November 1905.

 

In the 1380s, when Olaf II of Denmark inherited the Kingdom of Norway at the death of his father, Haakon VI of Norway, until 1814 Norway and Denmark were linked together in a union sometimes referred to as the Twin Kingdoms.  Each country had its own laws, currency, and armies.  Since Denmark was mainly agricultural and Norway had an export-driven economy the countries balanced and benefited each other.  As a result of the defeat of the combined union of Denmark and Norway during the Napoleonic Wars, the union was dissolved.  In the hope that Norway could avoid being ceded to Sweden the Norwegian Constitution, declaring Norway to be an independent kingdom, was signed on 17 May 1814 at Eidsvoll.  However, at that time Norway was still legally in a union with Sweden.  Instead of becoming its own country Norway now was in a union with the King of Sweden, who became the King of Sweden and Norway.  It was not until 1905 that Norway peacefully separated from Sweden and became, at last, an independent country with its own monarchy. 

 

King Haakon VII, shown on the card, was born Prince Carl of Denmark, the son of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden.  He chose to take the old Norse name Haakon and became the first independent Norwegian monarch since 1387.

 

 

King Haakon VII and Queen Maud, 1905 

Queen Maud, Prince Olav, and King Haakon VII, 1905 arriving in Kristiania now Oslo 

 

Seattle, and particularly the Ballard district of the city, is known to have a large Scandinavian-American community.  Each year there is a 17^th of May parade held in Ballard where many people wear the traditional Norwegian costumes and wave Norwegian flags, enjoy music and entertainment.  A commemorative pin is issued each year.  The proceeds go to help fund the parade and associated events. This year's pin is shown below.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_VII_of_Norway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consitution_Day_(Norway)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark-Norway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oslo’s_name

https://www.visitoslo.com/en.articles/history/

https://www.17thofmay.org/