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Vivi Doll Vivi got this doll from an old lady who lived in the same block of flats as her grandmother, when she was 7 or 8. The old lady was probably in her 90s. One day she came out and said “Would you like a little doll? Because I think you will be able to take care of her”. Vivi has ever since: she’s had her for 40 years. She’s always taken care of her, and the doll always sits out on her shelves. Vivi's never thought about giving her a name, though she is wondering about a safe way to wash the doll’s dress... The fact that this woman trusted her is what makes the story so remarkable to Vivi--that this woman could see Vivi would take care of it and not wreck it. She has moved it back and forth a few times, between Denmark to Australia, as she has a foot in each place... |
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Dorte Head Water Egg (Hoevedvandsaeg) Dorte, who has lived in Jyderup for 38 years, got this Hoevedvandsaeg from her mother, who got it from her mother, who got it from her mother. Where her great grandmother got it is unknown, but her parents gave it to her when she was engaged to her husband Gunnar 46 years ago. She will give it to her daughter. Such an egg was given by Scandinavian suitors to young women to show their intentions. If it had a crown on it, it meant he was serious about marriage. There were many forms, with different stones. Inside one would have a small piece of cloth with either perfume or smelling salts. Apparently people smelled pretty bad in the olden days, so if you felt faint from a group of smelly people nearby in church, you could lift yourself up with smelling salts. In the bottom you could also store something, like a coin that you could give to the church to the collection. Good thing civilization learned how to bathe! |
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Kurt Piggy Bank This bank came from a famous ceramic manufacturer, Knabstrup Tileworks. When Kurt was born his grandfather brought it to him. His grandfather was working there at the time. It is 70 years old now. Kurt has carried it with him to different homes in Knapstrup, Morkov, Stilligstig, and Jyderup, and always wraps it well to protect it while moving. He never dared save money in it because of its fragility. He keeps it safe in the back of a cabinet and pulls it out only when people want to see it, or occasionally to clean it. He spent most of his life working, starting at age 6 as a kitchen assistant, peeling potatoes and moving boxes, for 14 years. He was also a farmer, raising berries and cows, and sowing fields with horses, not tractors. He has no children, as far as he knows. |
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Gunnar Painting I cannot do this painting justice with a picture. That I admit. H.C. Ege, was a teacher in a school in Copenhagen. He was also a priest, and a painter, educated from the Royal Danish Academy. He called this painting ‘Art Negro’. Gunnar and his wife Dorte bought it from him in 1968. Gunnar buys art often, but does not consider those he has bought a “collection”. He buys paintings, sculpture, dishes, furniture... Every painting has its own story. He likes this one very much. Before they bought it he could borrow it for the first 3 months to see how they felt with it. When the time was up, he didn’t want to give it back. It went in his home with the furniture and surroundings perfectly, creating one unified complexity. Now it sits in the living room. Gunnar thinks Jyderup has changed a lot in the last 30-40 years. There’s been tremendous development for the better: growth, more facilities, but of course it’s not as easy now to know everyone in town as before. |
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Fria Bjork & Afenginn CDs Afenginn is a band from Copenhagen. Fria's big brother went to see them in concert and got the CD autographed at the show. They play kind of circus–folk. Fria has never seen them live though many of her friends have, but really likes them. Her brother, who’s 19, gave it to her on her 14th birthday. She brought it because her brother, whom she loves, gave her something that was important to and valuable to him. Fria first heard the Bjork CD when her classmate Sophia played it for her- that first time she thought it was kind of weird. Later she had a coupon for a store and bought it just for fun. Then she listened to it and realized it was really good for falling asleep. It reminds her of Dancer in the Dark, (the very dark Lars von Trier film starring Bjork)--is this obvious? She thinks a lot about that film when she listens. She was very fascinated when she met Sophia. Sophia came from Copenhagen and had a really unique, put-together sense of style. She was fascinated and decided she wanted to get know her. They have been good friends ever since. |
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Emilie Baby Shoes Emilie’s parents don’t usually keep their children’s childhood objects, except these shoes. They always keep them out in full view in the house. They remind Emilie of her childhood, though she can’t remember wearing them. The significance is of her parents keeping them rather than throwing them out. My parents also didn’t keep any of my childhood art projects or stuff--but Emilie pointed out we probably carry a lot of crap home as children. The shoes remind me of my mother’s baby shoes cast in bronze- her parents did that to all their children’s shoes. For Emilie the shoes are also kind of a collectors object, because kids these days wear very different shoes. Maybe she’ll use them for her own kids some day, if she has them. Emilie grew up outside of Jyderup, and had a lovely childhood, in an idyllic village. As a teenager she was very bored and frustrated thinking that everyone in and around Jyderup was boring and uneducated, and that the town was lacking culture. Now she realizes that’s a narrow view. She moved away to Copenhagen but has chosen to move back. She’s quite glad that she’s from the countryside, and has skills and knowledge her city friends lack. She feels everyone from here should leave for a while and experience something else before deciding to come back. |
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Elna Coin necklace & Pin Elna brought a necklace with 4 coins. When lined up they make 9 ores, representing the 9th of April 1940, the date Denmark was occupied by the Germans. She was a nursing student at the time, and many did this at the time as a symbol. She said that during the occupation, life was “not very nice at all”, and everyone was afraid that they would just be taken away. She quoted the date of May 4, 1945 as the date of the end of the war. I’m impressed with her memory for dates, though perhaps if I had lived through that, I would remember those dates too. The pin was made for Christian 10th, King of Denmark, on his 75th birthday. It was the year that the war ended. She keeps both of these as reminders, and worked hard to polish both of these to show me - she doesn’t usually wear them. Elna worked as a nurse her whole life, though she has retired (she was born in 1914). The last 20 years she worked, she was a nurse that visited people’s homes. I asked what she thought of being served by nurses instead of being a nurse - she told me she did not need any nurses yet! There’s a lack of nurses, both here and in the States. I assume because one needs so much compassion and so much strength. She replied: “when you are committed to it, you can do it.” |
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Erik Piggy Bank Erik brought piggy bank given to his wife. This was also made at Knabstrup Tileworks. His wife got it in 1991. She was an “Aftenpigerne” (evening girls) at a nursing home in Skanstropf. Her coworkers gave this to her that year. That year she died. They had 3 children: Bettine, Ole, & Svend Erik, who live in Kalundborg, Frederichson, and Bornholm. Erik worked as a baker in Jyderup for 35 years. I told him about my fondness for Danish baked goods. He approved. He’s born in Knabstrup but has lived in Jyderup most of his life and has always liked it. He particularly enjoys the celebration during (the holiday after Easter we talked about today). |
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Andrea Elephant & PC with Photos from the States Andrea got this ceramic elephant from her father’s aunt, whom she liked a whole lot, after she died. Her father’s aunt kept it on top of the refrigerator. She was always very nice, sweet and helpful to Andrea. She didn’t live very close so Andrea couldn’t call on her whenever she needed to. She has another aunt, who works at her school, whom she is also very close to. She also brought her laptop with photos from her trip to the States last summer. She was there for a month, and visited New York, Las Vegas, Arizona, San Francisco (which she found very cold) and a strange (to me because I’ve never heard of it) Danish town in California called Solvang, north of Los Angeles. It looks just like Denmark in the pictures, but with warmer sunlight. I’ll have to visit! |
THE IMMORTALIZATION PROJECT