Memories of Syttende mai

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Postcards from the personal collection of Cynthia Elyce Rubin

CYNTHIA ELYCE RUBIN
The Norwegian American

Since I am a postcard collector with a focus on real photo postcards, I was drawn to these Norwegian portraits. I know little about them.

Produced by the Holgerson Studio of Chicago, I believe they are from the 1930s or 1940s, and I assume they were taken at a 17th of May event.

One seller told me she found several postcards at the Alameda Point Antiques Fair in the Bay Area and that it was Holgerson’s grandson who was selling them. He inherited his grandfather’s negatives and is planning a book in the future, but, at this time, he knows little about the photography studio. 

So if any reader can help or identify any of these portraits, it would be wonderful. 

Happy 17th of May from Travel Editor Cynthia Elyce Rubin.

This article originally appeared in the May 8, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.

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Cynthia Elyce Rubin

Cynthia Elyce Rubin, PhD., is a visual culture specialist, travel writer, and author of articles and books on decorative arts, folk art, and postcard history. She collects postcards, ephemera, and early photography. See www.cynthiaelycerubin.com.

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