Mediating Everyday Life in Svalbard: Herta Grøndal's Photographs, 1950s-70s

Abstract

A woman in a spotted dress sits in a living room equipped with modern furniture, carpets and cushions, a houseplant on a woven tablecloth, pictures and lamps on the walls, and in the corner a radio cabinet and a rocking horse for the children (Figure 1). She seems confident and relaxed, dressed up and ready to make her home a showcase for the photographer. As this woman is portrayed with two small children in other photographs, we assume that she is a mother, and that this picture shows her family home. The motif is arranged and hence constructed, but nevertheless a witness to time and place.