Magnificent portraits record early 20th century Norwegian villagers in stunning detail
c. 1912-1920
A wedding.
IMage: Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane
Olai Fauske was born in 1887 to a farming family in the Norwegian county of Sogn og Fjordane. With chronic health problems and no inheritance rights to the family farm, he decided to start a career as a photographer.
After training in Bergen, he set up a business in the small town of Førde, where he worked until his death in 1944.
He traveled around the district of Sunnfjord, producing landscapes and postcards that he sold both to locals and far-flung emigrants who missed the vistas of their home country.
As the only photographer in the Førde area, Fauske was commissioned to document weddings, funerals, family portraits, and other notable events, from seasonal celebrations to the capture of a particularly large halibut, all on exquisitely detailed glass plate negatives. Read more...
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