If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 94

Kariolskyds

The charming postcard shown above was published by Eneret M. (Mittet) & Company, Norway.   The title says “Kariolskyds” or cart ride in English and shows a man and a woman dressed in the local bunad.  It does not indicate which area of Norway but from the basic style of the costume it may be from Hordaland near Bergen.  A Fjord horse is pulling the cart.  This looks to date from the early 1900s and appears to be a watercolor painting rather than a tinted black & white photograph.  The back of the card was reserved for the address while a small space on the front was available for a short message.

Mittet & Co. or Mittet & sons was a well-known publisher of postcards and other materials.  As I tried to find something out about Eneret M. or Eneret Mittet I noticed that several Mittet postcards carry this name.  They published thousands of cards, however, not all of the cards bear the name Eneret M.  I could not find anything specific about Eneret.   If any readers know more about Eneret it would be nice to hear from you. 

Mittet is the name of a small village in the Rauma district of More og Romsdal, Norway.  It has a population of approximately 150 people and is located on Langfjorden. 

See:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittet

Postcard Thursday, 66, Update

Men’s bunad from Åmli, Aust Agder, Norway
[photo source: 
http://www.google.no/search?q=setesdalsbunad&hl=no&sa=X&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&ei=Nqy0UKOZOqGg4gTE0IHICQ&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=625 ]

Today I received an email from Rune Jensen regarding the postcard that went up on the blog this past Thursday showing a group of people dressed in the costume from Setesdal.  He sent the photo and link above plus another link for other pictures of the costumes from this area in southern Norway.  One thing he mentioned that was very interesting is that while there are 19 counties or fylker in Norway there are 400 different designs for bunader.  I had wondered if there were variations within the counties and the answer is an emphatic, yes!  Nevertheless, there are strict regulations regarding the designs and colors to be used in all these costumes. 

As you notice the men’s bunad comes in basically two styles for this area, short trousers and long trousers, dark jacket and light jacket.  The light colored jacket looks like it is probably shorter in length than the dark jacket.  I personally like the dark jacket and short trousers with the nice high stockings, tassels, colored vest, and buckled shoes.  All versions have an attractive tie or cravat that compliments the ensemble.  Very handsome looking all of them.

Rune mentioned that he thought all the women's skirts except those from Setesdal are long but even the long ones had multiple underskirts.  Apparently there is a story about a woman who wore seven underskirts or “stakker” during an especially hard, cold winter to keep warm.  I think that seven underskirts might look a little bulky and be heavy as the material used for these skirts is usually wool.  He did say that everything has been sewn so nice that the different layers can be shown off for example when a woman has to lift her skirts while walking in the forest. 

Thank you Rune, as always for your comments and additions.

For more pictures of the costumes from southern Norway here is the second link:
http://flekkefjordhusflidslag.elisabethgg.net/bunad.htm

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 66

 Setesdal bunad

Usually the postcards depicting the Norwegian national costume or bunad show just the women but this one shows both women and men.  The card is from Axel Eliasson’s collection and has the number 5029.  It shows a group of “farmers” from the Setesdal region of southern Norway.  I have seen skirts like these with the bars of bright colors on the hemline fairly often but the bonnet is different from the more plain dark colored one and I do not think I have ever seen a photo showing the striped shawl. 
 
These lovely national costumes of Norway are many and varied.  With grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents coming from Hardanger, (Hordaland and Bergen), Setesdal (Aust and Vest Agder), Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane and Telemark I think I can choose just about any one of those places for a bunad of my own.  But they are all so beautiful and slightly different that it is hard to know which one I might find as a favorite.  Mrs. Gimlet does Hardanger embroidery so for her the choice is simple, Hardangder it is.  She wants to do the embroidery work herself but patterns are not available in the United States so she will have to find someone in Norway to help out--a project for sometime in the future.  The red vests and dark skirts with the brilliant white Hardanger aprons are very striking.  We see quite a few of this popular style here in Seattle as there is a large Norwegian American contingent that had its origins in or near Bergen, Norway.  The photo of this woman wearing the Hardanger costume was taken at Yulefest last year.

Hardanger bunad

I rather like the crewel embroidery found on the Vest Agder and Telemark costumes and also the shawls from Vest Agder.   Pictured below is an especially lovely bunad, simple but with some color and one not as commonly seen here as the Hardanger costume.  Note the dark skirt has the colored bands at the hem similar to those on the postcards above and below as well as beautiful embroidery.  Rune tells me that he sews and graciously shared this photo of his lovely wife, Anne, wearing the Vest Agder costume.

Anne wearing the bunad from Vest Agder
[photo: courtesy of Rune Jensen]

The skirts on the Setesdal costume on the card at the top are actually double skirts as can be seen on the card below that shows a girl and boy.  The girl’s skirt has been lifted a bit on one side so we can see the underskirt with additional ribbons of contrasting color.  The dress looks more like a pinafore in both postcards.  The girl is wearing the style bonnet or scarf most often shown with this costume quite different from what the women are wearing in the top card.  The young man’s hat does not have the wide brim seen on the men above either.  His shoes have a green over piece while the men above are wearing plain shoes.  Another difference is the length of the skirt.  Most of the current costumes worn today have long skirts but this design on the postcards is knee or just below the knee length instead.  It made me wonder if perhaps there are additional small differences in the costumes within the areas too and not just between the various counties.  In the lower left corner of the card below is written Eneberettiet, J.F.  EFTF   That may be the publisher’s information. 

Setesdal

 

For more pictures of the  various Norwegian traditional costumes here is a link:

http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/05/bunad-norwegian-traditional-costumes/?show=gallery

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 53

Jonsokkbryllup, Aurland, Sogn, Norway
[Summerfest wedding postcard:  courtesy of Lorraine Becker]

Last week the Gimlets and I took a trip to visit my mother’s sister.  She brought out some photo albums and among the things she had was this postcard.  It is more recent than previous cards I have posted on Thursdays.  I think Dick Thompson purchased it in the 1950s when he took a trip to Norway. 

We are well past midsummer but the picture is quite charming from the children dressed up in costume to the dog riding on the back of the Fjord horse.  The dog looks so relaxed it made me wonder if he often rode up there.  The bride is wearing a crown and two of the little girls are wearing the local skaut headdress of a married woman.  The boys in the photo look dressed up but not necessarily in the local bunad.

The caption at the lower left says “Jonsokkbryllup”-- St. John’s Day or Midsummer wedding.  Midsummer festivities have been held in many countries for hundreds of years.  They usually include a large bonfire, dancing and singing.  A tradition from the area near Bergen, Norway (I’m not sure if this is done in other parts of the country) includes mock weddings sometimes between adults but more often between children.  These weddings symbolize a new beginning with the rising of the sun on the longest day of the year and can be held between the 20th and the 25th of June—the Summer Solstice.  The children dress up in the area bunad and get a ride in a horse or pony drawn wagon as seen on the card.  Perhaps the cart ride may be enough of an incentive for the children to get dressed up?  They do look extremely cute.

I wondered a bit why it was called “John’s” wedding but then realized that the birthday of John the Baptist was supposed to have been six months prior to the birth of Jesus.  The holiday is also sometimes referred to St. Hans Day in Norway.  The name Hans is another version of John.  Although the holiday has a Christian name I suspect Midsummer celebrations predate Christianity and were just incorporated into the religious calendar for convenience since the people were accustomed to having it.

The postcard is from Aurland north of Bergen in Sogn Fjordane county.  The white church at the right side of the top card and shown below on a second postcard is called Vangen Church built in 1202.  Dick had cousins living in Aurland but I have not yet been able to identify them.  His mother came from Sogn og Fjordane so perhaps these cousins are from her side of the family although we do know that his half-brother Gjert Didriksen lived in the general area as well.  Dick did mention that he had two brothers but did not indicate if he had met them.  His father’s family came from Rogaland south of Bergen.  Enørett Mittet & Co published both of the cards shown. 

Vangen Church, Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
[postcard:  courtesy of Lorraine Becker]

 I thought it was interesting that this church is built in an early Gothic style that shows English influence.  Apparently English merchants used to stay in Aurland and they are suspected to have helped in the building of the church, perhaps even as the master builders.  Two of the stained glass windows, one of the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the other of Jesus Christ, the Savior, were made by the multi-talented Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland.  Vigeland was mostly known for his paintings but he did frescos, stained glass, and sculptures as well.  His younger brother Gustav Vigeland was also an artist.  Gustav Vigeland’s famous sculpture garden in Oslo depicts the life cycle of mankind. 

The scenery in all of Norway is very beautiful.  The picture below is of the Aurlandsfjord.

Aurlandsfjorden, Aurlandsvangen, and Flåm
[photo:  Wikipedia—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurland]

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 24

Little girl in Hardanger bunad, ca 1900s
[Mittet & Co. No 6]

Postcards reached the height of their popularity in the early 1900s when they were a preferred method of sending short messages with the added bonus of a picture. Publishing companies branched out and added postcards to their selections. The company that printed this card, Mittet & Company A/S of Oslo, Norway, was established in 1899 by Ingebrigt Mittet and developed by his two sons Knut and Søren Mittet. They published children’s books and other items but are best known as the most productive postcard publisher in Norway printing a wide variety of cards. The Norwegian National Archives have 265 negatives from this company most on glass plates. Themes for the cards range from the Norwegian royal family, churches, Oslo, Arkerhus fortress, parades on “Help the Children’s Day” in 1906 and others. The glass plates were the basis for the postcards from 1905 to 1930. For more information about Mittet & Co. please see the Norwegian archives site at http://www.arkivverket.no/eng.

Since this card is of a child I did wonder if it might have been associated with the Help the Children’s Day. The postmark on the reverse of the card is not clear enough to read the date but there is a Roman numeral VI in the middle of the stamp. Mrs. Gimlet was delighted to see the detail on this postcard but somewhat horrified to see this little girl with the Hardanger lace in her mouth! And in truth, the reason the card attracted me to it in the first place was the detail of the lace embroidery on the apron as much as the cute little girl. It takes hours and hours of the most painstakingly meticulous work to do this type of embroidery and cutwork. Here is an example of Mrs. Gimlet’s handwork for the baby gown she is currently making for her newest little niece or nephew expected in this month. Curly’s mother and Curly will make the dress itself using the pieces Mrs. Gimlet has embroidered. Then later, in September, Mrs. G hopes to enter the finished product in the needlework competition at the Puyallup Fair. This is an heirloom in the making!

The collar section of the blessing gown
[photo courtesy of Heather Laurence]

I thought I would share a couple of family stories from the Landaas family. This family lived in the Hardanger area of Norway. All the girls had the silver sølje pins and some of them had the local bunad as well. Two examples of the pins are shown below. The pin on the top is modern the small pin on the bottom is old, probably about 125 years old, and is handmade. Both pins are silver with the top pin all silver while the smaller pin has brass spoons. The measuring tape is there to provide an idea of the sizes. The smaller pin would typically have been used on a child’s costume. If you look closely at the postcard you will see that this little girl is wearing a rather large pin that is attached to the blouse but hangs down into the vest.

Sølje

The Landaas family lived most of the year in the city of Bergen where the father, Peder Landaas, worked as a carpenter and woodcarver. I believe he also did some cabinetry work. Peder’s parents lived north of Bergen at a farm called Fiskeset. During the summer months the children and possibly their mother went up to the farm where they could help the grandparents. The two oldest Landaas girls, Mikkeline (Maggie) and Petra usually had the job of tending the sheep and goats up on the mountainside. Maggie loved the outdoors and the farm in general and thought it much better than living in the city. Petra on the other hand preferred living in the city and was not overly fond of going up to the farm. These girls were tiny. Even as an adult Petra never reached 5 feet in height and was quite slender when she was a girl. Taking care of the ewes, lambs, kids and nanny goats wasn’t too bad but there was at least one nasty ram that gave the girls quite a bit of trouble.

One of the stories Petra would tell was about the ram and how he would run at her and her sister and butt them hard enough to send them sprawling on the ground. He was a fearsome creature from her description with huge horns. One day he came at her and instead of walking away after tossing her down on the ground he kept coming back to ram her again and again. She did not know what to do to get away from him but she was on a steep hillside so she rolled up into a ball and went somersaulting down the mountain to escape.

Another memory she had of her summer stays at the farm was the year she had a very bad cold. It sounded almost more like pneumonia or the flu than a cold the way she told it. At any rate her nose was stuffed up for possibly weeks and finally her mother and grandmother had had enough of it and tarred the inside of her nose to get it to stop running and dripping. The cure was effective as far as the drippy nose went but it cost her the sense of smell. She said this happened in early summer and the last thing she recalled being able to smell was ripe strawberries growing on the mountainside. Ever after it was a big inside joke when she was asked what she would like as a gift she would smile and say perfume and then laugh.

Petra and Marjorie Lee with some chickens, ca 1920

I can never remember a time when my grandmother, Petra, was not dressed up so it is almost impossible to think of her on that farm in Norway. Here she is with my mother and some chickens and even then you will notice that she is wearing white shoes and jewelry!

Hardanger embroidery, Norwegian national costumes

When we were cleaning out Mom’s apartment we found some very old Hardanger lace embroidery in the bottom of a cedar chest. As I have mentioned previously, my daughter, Mrs. Gimlet, does this type of embroidery and was quite excited to find these pieces. We think they were inserts for an apron or perhaps a blouse but they could have been practice pieces as well. They were in remarkably good condition for being folded and stored away for probably 70 years or more. We think my grandmother made them or maybe even her mother or grandmother so they have got to be more than 100 years old. There are a few “rust-like” spots that we would like to remove so Mrs. Gimlet has ordered some special soap to wash them in and (maybe before we attempt the cleaning) after the holidays we will go to the Nordic Heritage Museum and see what they can tell us about the pieces and how to take care of them. I’ll try to remember to post “before and after” photos later.

Sample of antique Hardanger lace embroidery, 1

Sample of antique Hardanger lace embroidery, 2

This next picture is of my grandmother, Petra Landaas, on the right, in the national costume for Hardanger. You can see some of the embroidery work on the aprons. I have always thought that the girl on the left was her friend, Bertha Ottesen, who traveled with her from Bergen but looking at it now it might be her sister, Mikkeline (Maggie) instead. There are few pictures of Petra with her hair down like this and no pictures of Maggie with her hair down and that makes the identification a little more difficult. The photograph was taken shortly after Petra arrived in Seattle from Bergen, Norway, in 1893.

Petra Landaas, ca 1893

These next photographs are of a child’s bunad from Telemark. Petra’s husband, I.C. Lee came from Telemark and I’m not completely sure how we got this bunad but I think it originally came from his niece Magda. Her daughter, Ingrid, wore it, I wore it, and here you see Mrs. Gimlet wearing it when she was ten years old. A child's chore was to gather eggs and the apron was supposedly used to hold the eggs.

Mrs. Gimlet, age 10, wearing bunad from Telemark

This little dress or jumper and the blouse are both made completely by hand, no machine stitching anywhere on either piece. The dress is wool, the blouse is linen.

Close up showing the top half of the back of the dress with crewel embroidery.

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 11

Wedding party, Hardanger, Norway, ca 1900

This Axel Eliasson postcard has just about everything going for it. The bride in full regalia including the bridal crown, the men complete with hats, married women wearing aprons and skauts and presumably unmarried women with bare heads or in one case beribboned.

Traditional Hardanger bridal crown from the Bergen area of Norway

This card is dated 14 November 1912 shows the blouse, vest, sølje pins and with an impressive bridal crown. The pins were used as decoration as well as fasteners in lieu of buttons. Many postcards in the early 1900s and even before allowed writing of messages only on the picture side of the card with the reverse side for the address and stamps exclusively. Along the left margin is written "No 69 Eneberettiget 1900" and along the bottom left margin is "Søstrene Persen, Bergen" [Sisters Persen, Bergen]. Above the picture is "Hardangerbrud" [Hardanger Bride].

And finally we have a married woman wearing the skaut headdress and carrying a decorated bucket or pail for milk perhaps?

Woman from Hardanger wearing bunad with skaut and carrying a pail.

This is a John Fredriksons postcard published in Christiania now Oslo, Norway. The A. Eliasson card at the top was published in Stockholm, Sweden. All three cards were tinted photographs that were then mass-produced and printed in color.

Hardanger bunad, sølje and Setesdal mangletre

Each area in Norway has its own national costume called a bunad. We are fortunate to have two photographs of Petra Landaas Lee in the Hardanger costume one taken probably about 1893 shortly after she arrived in America and this one taken just before she was married in 1904. Petra was petite, only 4 foot 11 inches tall. In this picture it is possible to see the famous Hardanger cut lace pattern in the apron. The cutwork was all done by hand. No buttons or zippers were used in the wool and linen costume but the blouse and dress were pinned together with little brooches called sølje made especially for that purpose.

The long filigree sølje pin at her neck has become quite fragile and can no longer be worn but has been passed down and framed.