My last trip to Cleveland, I
was going through a box of old photographs and came across the following dramatic
portrait, obviously a singer or actress. Although the features seemed familiar,
I couldn't recall whose portrait this was, so I looked at the back, only to be
confronted with a blank expanse.
 |
| Mystery portrait: Who is she??? |
The identity was known when I
obtained it, but nothing was written on this large photo, which was likewise
dissociated from any receipts or catalog entries. In other words, an orphan
photograph. However, luck was watching out for me, for later a small album
yielded this late 19th century trade card of singer Sigrid Arnoldson, advertising
Lorillard tobacco:
This certainly looked like the
photo, and now that I had a name it was a matter of minutes to look on the
internet and confirm the identification with other Arnoldson photos from the same session, such as this
one on the delcampe.net website.
Sigrid Arnoldson, a famous
Swedish singer with an international career who lived from 1861 to 1943, was an
important part of the music scene in the late Nineteenth century. In a
manner reminiscent of Adelina Patti, Arnoldson combined the high status of classical singers with the relentless
merchandising of the period to enter the realm of popular culture. Her face and
name appear often in relics of the period, frequently in sets of trade cards
issued by tobacco and other companies.
Luckily, Arnoldson lived into
the era of early phonograph recordings, so her voice was preserved for the
future. That same visit, I opened a box
of old 78-RPM records stored in a cabinet, and miraculously there was Arnoldson's 1906
Berlin rendition of the Swiss Echo Song, a popular Victorian display piece.
(You may hear this recording, although not from my copy, on Youtube.)
The important lesson here is
that we are the custodians of the objects we collect, and there is no excuse to
allow identifying information to be lost. Names and locations should be written
on the backs of photographs with pencil (but please avoid ink or felt tips, which over
the years will bleed through).
Arnoldson's birthday is March
20th, which makes this an especially appropriate time to review her
story. I must have had a premonition that I would one day be called on to
celebrate her birthday: I was all prepared with this
c.1890
box of Sigrid Arnoldson
Birthday Candles! That is the pleasure of collecting—once someone like
Arnoldson registers on your mental radar, locating an insignificant object like
these candles becomes an occasion of great excitement and amusement.
 |
| Still filled with the original candles! |
The spirit of Sigrid
Arnoldson must have been at my elbow last summer, protecting her image from
neglect. Although most of my things are packed away in deep storage, it seems
that every time I opened a box I found an object related to her. A few days
before I left, one last very beautiful portrait from 1894 virtually materialized
in a folder of architectural photographs. She looks very relaxed now that I
have labeled her picture, and order has been restored!
 |
| Sigrid Arnoldson, March 20, 1861 – February 7, 1943 |
All photographs and original items, except as noted,
property of the author.
Hello, Jim,
ReplyDeleteI share your joy in finding historic items that complement each other, the great joy of collecting. You've introduced me to a celebrity thus far unknown to me, and hinted at what a celebrity she truly must have been! I listened to her recording of the Swis echo song, and though it is so dated, I can easily imagine what a popular novelty it must have been. Your candles are pretty amazing!
Hello Mark, I suppose that there were always those celebrities who were famous simply for being famous, but more often when researching people like Arnoldson, one finds that their fame, however frivolous at times, is based on talent and hard work. Her records, coming toward the end of her career, might not do full justice to Arnoldson's voice in its youthful prime.
DeleteThe candles are such an odd thing to have turned up--I too get a kick out of them! --Jim
Well, what a delightful post this has turned out to be, and so very timely (happy birthday Ms. Arnoldson). I do love a good detective story of the things we somehow acquire through life, and there is nothing more thrilling than making a discovery in which a little layer is peeled away from the onion to reveal its mysteries.
ReplyDeleteYou make an excellent point about labeling items, especially photographs. I've made every effort to do so with my own family photographs, as I realized once my daughter had been born that she will one day be asking questions of her own as to who so-and-so might be.
Your candle box is charming. Could you tell us how long the candles are?
Hello CD, Although the internet has its faults, it is amazing how often it can provide instant gratification when doing research. However, the pages on the internet can prove even more ephemeral than the objects we are researching, so it is important to document everything right away.
DeleteWe also have the problem of boxes of unlabeled family photos. One thing that I am trying to do each vacation is to at least go through a group of them, and scan and label them. It can be a very entertaining way of spending an evening.
The candle box is about three inches long, closed, so apparently the birthday candles of 100 years ago are just about the same size as those used today.
--Jim
Dearest Jim,
ReplyDeleteOh, that kind of excitement I share with you as it is more valuable than a gift at times. Finding such puzzle pieces of the past is great! She was a kind of Operette singer I guess, in German it reads: Chamber (Kammer) sängerin (singer). But your statement that she looks very relaxed is half true; her face yes but looking at her tiny waist, she almost must have been in pain for being so tightly constricted in a corset!
Kindest regards and happy weekend and hope your days are a bit brighter, weather wise!
Mariette
Hello Mariette, As you have often shared with us on your own blog, there is indeed excitement in researching objects, people or subjects you love, then keying in to detailed information about them. Certainly Arnoldson is tightly corseted, but I have heard that these were not uncomfortable if well made, although I would hardly be the expert in this area!
DeleteThank you for your good wishes--the warm Spring weather does seem to have arrived in Taipei; the last few days have been quite balmy. --Jim
Hello Jim - some inspired detective work and interesting coincidences especially the fact that today would have been her birthday.
ReplyDeleteShe looks so tiny even on the photos where she is not corseted up tightly. So often we associate singers as having a more ample build.
Very important tip about writing information on the backs of images, I have many that are blank which is very frustrating.
Incidentally my granddaughter number 2 has a place this October at a music conservatoire for singing, and she too is very slender.
Hello Rosemary, I suppose that some trained singers are on the hefty side, but that stereotype is hardly universal. Patti herself was quite petite, and a number of basses and baritones are rather slender, sometimes contrasting humorously with their low voices. What I find more amazing is that Arnoldson and other singers of the period were able to perform and act with their midsections so constricted!
DeleteCongratulations on your granddaughter's acceptance to music school--certainly England has a long tradition for her to build on. --Jim
This post is just a delight! I am listening to Sigrid trill as I type this. Of course the sound recordings of the time do her no justice. And I couldn't agree more about the importance of labeling our photographs with names and dates. Just Wednesday I was at the famous Miss Piggy's Antiques (you do know it, don't you?) in Crewe, VA and stumbled across another of my "bearskin babies," vintage photographs of babes posed on a bearskin. Fewer than half of mine are labeled but this one at least says "Alfred to Papa, ? mos old." Oh goodness, Sigrid is echoing across the Alps now!
ReplyDeleteHello Barbara, Old records do take a bit of getting used to, but eventually you can hear through the scratching and static. Arnoldson's records are actually pretty clear and "forward", and the Gramophone company's records were generally top quality.
DeleteI have never heard of Miss Piggy's Antiques--is there something special there? I'm glad you found something for your collection. With antique baby pictures, one advantage to having a name is that you know whether it is a boy or a girl! --Jim
Wonderful post. How amazing that you found the record. I would love to hear her sing. And those candles. You do a marvelous job of bringing these treasures t life, Jim.
ReplyDeleteHello Jen, Thank you for your kind words--it is all the connections among these old objects that make them so fascinating. Arnoldson's original records are definitely on the rare side, so I was indeed lucky to get that one, especially in such excellent condition. You may have missed the link I posted in the article to a copy of this same record on Youtube. --Jim
DeleteI am lucky to have a daughter who is interested in preserving the family history. She keeps everything albeit a bit disorganized. It is amazing that you found that record. Those 78's are quite hard to find these days, they broke so easily, I remember when the 33 lps came out, not only could they hold more songs but they were unbreakable...I'm dating myself, ugh! oh to have that waist...how did they manage?! Great post, Jim, really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHello Lindaraxa, I think that in every family there has to be someone like your daughter to take charge. Even if only a few photos are processed at a time, at least that is something.
DeleteYes, those are the shellac records that shatter so easily. I hope that I did not give the wrong impression--that record is one that I bought years ago, but most of my records are in a storage building and completely inaccessible. There just happened to be a few boxes available in a small cabinet we have. The corseted, wasp-waist was definitely the fashion in the 1890's, and Arnoldson seems an exemplary leader in this fashion. --Jim
Well done on good sleuthing. I take to heart your point about identifying photographs. Luckily this was done with the majority of photographs that we inherited. Amongst them was a gouache drawing of a fine gentleman by "his friend...from New York". It was somewhat crumpled from being rolled up and not protected from the weight of other matter. I put it out for the auction house. Later I discovered the photo from which it was drawn; my grandfather. Sadly the drawing went out with things unsold!
ReplyDeleteHello Columnist, We have a similar drawing of my father (down to the rolling and buckling!), but somehow I never thought of marking it, even as we were working to identify old photos. I'll attend to it next time. You are lucky that you at least have the original photo of your grandfather. --Jim
DeleteSigrid taught you a valuable lesson. It is important to mark photos with names, dates and locations.
ReplyDeleteAnd since provenance is so important for art objects, it is very vital to file all documents from auctions and inheritances.
Hello Hels, You are right, I certainly got off easy this time. I even have benefited, because certainly by now I have Arnoldson's features committed to memory!
DeleteEven when records and documents are available, it is important to key them to the actual documents, otherwise the identification can still be lost. Now that I have the name written on the photo, I can one day match it to its invoice, and even without the documents the photo can be independently researched. --Jim
Fascinating! She is quite beautiful and a unique character. I'm amazed you were able to tell her story with all those unique artifacts!
ReplyDeleteHello Ann, I know just what you mean. For so many years, Arnoldson has been virtually unknown, yet she was once so popular that her picture was included in packages of cigarettes and candy! --Jim
DeleteVery good detective work, Jim. I am not familiar with Sigrid Arnoldson, despite going to Sweden twice a year for almost 15 years. And I have rummaged through many fascinating vintage shops specializing in old books, records, collectibles, etc. I'm going to forward this post to my Swedish friends. Cheers
ReplyDeleteHello Loi, Somehow I never made the connection between Arnoldson's origin in Sweden and your interest in the decorative arts of that country. It will be interesting to know whether your Swedish friends are familiar with her, or if fame is indeed fleeting. Of course, the Swedish singer to achieve the greatest level of superstardom is Jenny Lind, who predated both Arnoldson and the recording era. --Jim
DeleteI teach school kids in a museum. And the photo conversation is one I have with them. Always write the information on the back otherwise it can be lost and then we can only guess as to someone's identity. However I am met with blank stares as they don't ever really print photos these days, it's all digital. Plus when they have to do an investigation in the museum, some don't know to turn our photos over to look on the back.
ReplyDeleteHello Katharine, Even digital photos need to be labeled. As they are downloaded they have names like DSF0043, etc., and need the same info about names, dates, and places as physical photos. (I know the date is also recorded internally, but it is handy to have it in the caption.) It's amazing how quickly you can forget your friend's friend's name who came to the party, or at what monument some photo was taken on your vacation. --Jim
DeleteThe last picture is amazing and brave in those times.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Hello Filip and Kristel, I agree with you about that photo, and am glad that you like it.
ReplyDelete--Jim