Above: Yulia Brodskaya

Above: Peter Callesen

Above: Chris Natrop

Above: Su Blackwell

I also very much like the art of Rob Ryan, Elsa Mora and Emma van Leest. And the technique of Kako Ueda and Hino Aoyama is extrem! So thin cut lines and intricate motives. I recommend the book to everyone interested in art, craft and design.

Probably the title is a wink to the still much loved ”Prinsarnes Blomsteralfabet” from 1892, by the amazing illustrator Ottilia Adelborg (Bonniers). The illustrations in this ABC by Gunhild Facks are nice and clear with very typical ”swedish” motives and some botanical decorations. I like how every image has a frame, but the motives break out of it. The short lyrics is maybe by the illustrator, since no other name is mentioned on the (inner) cover.

The book is kind of a tribute to the young swedish princesses Märtha and Margaretha. They appear with photos under the letter M.

Under the letter J, as in julgran/christmas tree, you can see both swedish and norwegian flags, since the two countries then were a union for a short while.

I also found that the images was printed on cardboard to be used as school material, to learn the ABC. Probably some years later? (Göteborgs skolmuseum)

The only referens to the book a found on the internet is this short message in the womens magazine Idun nr 51, from year 1903. That is were I found what year this book was printed. They recommend this book to all young beginner-readers and think the pictures are beautiful. Other illustrators they mention in the same article are Elsa Beskow, Jenny Nyström and Gisela Henckel-Trapp. (From the digitalized womens magazine project at Göteborgs Universitet.)

The earliest reference to Gunhild Facks i can find on the internet is from 1902 under the spelling Fachs. She was one of many illustrators for different childrens christmas magazines and books, for example in ”Tummeliten” 1902 (Fachs!) and 1903, and in ”Fågel Blå” 1903, in ”Trisse” 1907 and 1911, cover for ”Sagas julbok” 1907, and in ”Jultomten – Skolbarnens jultidning” 1902 (Fachs!), 1906 and 1913, and as the illustrator for some images for children to colorize.

Gunhild Facks also illustrated the childrens book ”Sagor om djur för de minsta små” 1905 (text?) and two books by Anna Maria Roos; ”Tock tock: sagan om den lilla gumman och djuren i skogen” 1907 and ”Fyra barn i Biskra” 1909. In 1904 she illustrated a cartoon (?) called ”Kisses velocipedfärd” in the christmas print ”Julklappen”, text by Sigrid Sköldberg-Pettersson. It is mentioned in Seriewikin as one of the really early cartoons in Sweden. The same year 1904, and in 1913, she made ink vignettes for the magazine ”Ord & bild”, under the spelling Fachs (archived at Nationalmuseum). She also appear at least twice as an illustrator in Idun, 1901 and 1906, where she made time typical frames for photos.

Her largest commission must have been to do all the illustrations for the school book ”Första läseboken” 1905 and later, together with others, ”Andra läseboken”. (Hammer/Wallgren, Bonniers) Read by, I guess, thousands and thousands of swedish school children.

This is the information I could find about illustrator Gunhild Facks (Fachs). Nothing about her life. But if you do, please let me know.

There were a growing market and demand for powerful illustrations for all types of advertisement, commercial products, cinema posters, book covers, news papers, fashion magazines, and so on. Giving the illustrators lots of work and a chance to develop their style and skills. And they were of course classically trained in art and illustration craft. I have always been jealous of that and this is a good chance to study their work.

Textiles have always fascinated me since I went to ”syjunta” as a child with my grandmother and her friends. Sewing and laughing and telling gossip… and making wonderful textiles that no one cares for anymore… Embroidered textiles are a good source of inspiration when wanting to look for a typical swedish style in the cultural history. Made by women of high craft skills and good sense of colour, design and traditions. Combined with a will to express there own feelings, taste and style. How does women express themself today? Like this, bloggin!

All photos are from Dalarnas Auktionsbyrå, a big auction house in Borlänge, Dalarna.

I think the short Vem?-films are genious in all there simplicity and big emotions. As a grown up I enjoy them, but they are not ”family” films with extreme action a tons of grown up dialogue. They are truly made for the youngest audience, with simple dialogue and funny characters against an empty background. Simple but effective and nice. I wish all small children would have the chance to see this, instead of all the crap flowing out from TV and internet.

BUFF, Barn- och ungdomsfilmfestivalen /  the International Children and Young People’s Film Festival in Malmö, has been around for nearly thirty years now. The six day long filmfestival takes place right now in Malmoe. They will show around hundred movies from Europe and other parts of the world, to an audience of children and grown ups working with film for the young.

Min teckning av en älgko kan väl passa bra på internationella kvinnodagen! Alla vill bara se älgar med stora horn, men idag är det kvinnornas dag, så jag passar på. En hälsning till alla kvinnor från illustratören Lena Svalfors Hedin.

Last week I visited Millesgården in Stockholm. They are showing an exhibition about the illustrator Ingrid Vang Nyman. She was the first to illustrate Astrid Lindgrens character Pippi Långstrump/Longstocking. And she also did a lot of other commissions for Astrid Lindgren.

Publicly she is not well known, so the exhibition is a good introduction to her work and maybe to give her more credit than she has. But I am very familiar with her since before, so I was left a little unsatisfied after visiting Millesgården. I wanted to see so many more sketches and original drawings. But I am an illustrator nerd and always want more of everything!

Ingrid Vang Nyman was most productive during the years 1945 to 1959, when she ended her life. She had an art education from Copenhagen. And a strong sense of her work being more valuable, than illustrators normally was getting credit and money for. She fought for her rights and influence over the use of her images. A lonely and tuff struggle…

Her style of illustration was very modern to swedish eyes, with influence from the continent and Denmark where she grew up and studied. Astrid Lindgren liked her modern approach to childrens book illustration and so did the children. The characters where fresh and lively, in black ink and flat colours. There were no perspective laws and the illustrations were simplified, but with more and more decorative elements after some years.

The images of Pippi and Bullerbyn is pressmaterial from Millesgården, copyright Ingrid Vang Nyman/Saltkråkan AB.
To read more about Ingrid Vang Nyman and Astrid Lindgren in swedish go to Dagens Nyheter article 1 and 2, or AstridLindgren.se