Karl Rune Nordkvist

Karl Rune Nordkvist (1920–1997) was a prominent Swedish "working-class author" (arbetarförfattare) known for his authentic depictions of poverty, social heritage, and the evolving welfare state in 20th-century Sweden. 

Unlike many authors who left manual labour behind after finding literary success, Nordkvist famously continued working as a welder for the Swedish State Railways (SJ) until his retirement.

 

Sailors & Skippers

 

Olle Krantz

Olle Krantz (1906–1999) was a prominent Swedish painter and sculptor best known for his naive and expressionist style. He spent the latter half of his life on the island of Visingsö, where he established Tempelgården (The Temple Estate), a unique art sanctuary and open-air museum that remains a popular visitor destination today.

His work is characterized by a vibrant use of colour, blending naive art with expressionism. He often captured everyday moments, coastal scenes, and portraits with a distinct, often whimsical, perspective.

Constantin Meunier

Constantin Meunier (1831–1905) was a Belgian painter and sculptor who became a leading figure in European Social Realism. He is best known for elevating the image of the industrial worker—including miners, dockers, and factory labourers—to icons of modernity.

Initially trained as a sculptor, Meunier turned almost exclusively to painting between 1857 and 1884 to more directly portray social issues.

In 1882, a government-sponsored trip to Spain led him to briefly focus on religious subjects.

Returning to Belgium in 1885, he experienced what he called a "second life," returning to sculpture with a renewed focus on the industrial landscape and the dignity of manual labour.

Mushroom Connoisseur

No, this is not a beret, but an enormous mushroom. The mushroom connoisseur is unknown, the photographer is  Törnblom Guiseppe.

Bérets Amethyste

Amethyst is the violet-coloured variety of quartz and has been prized for thousands of years for both its beauty and the legends surrounding it. The ancient Greeks wore amethyst gemstones and carved drinking vessels from the stone, believing it could protect them from intoxication.

The name amethyst derives from the Koine Greek amethystos, combining a- ("not") and methysko ("to intoxicate"), reflecting the widespread belief that the stone could ward off drunkenness. Whether or not it lived up to its reputation, amethyst became one of the most valued semiprecious stones and remains a popular choice in jewelry today.

Its rich violet hue, ranging from delicate lavender to deep purple, has long been associated with nobility, wisdom and refinement.

Now, this striking colour has found its way into the world of berets. Amethyst is the latest shade introduced by Manufacture de Bérets, adding a distinctive new tone to their collection. As with many special colours, production is limited, and only a very small number are available here. 

Per Willehard Häger

Per Willehard Häger (1899–1978) was a Swedish journalist and photographer from Sandarne, known for founding the newspaper Härjedalingen in 1937. He worked at Söderhamns Tidning and was known for focusing on local, human-interest stories. His photographic collection is held by Länsmuseet Gävleborg.

Bicycle Center B. Andersson, Bollnäs, October 1954.

 

Industrious Sweden

We continue our journey through Sweden, turning now to the people who shaped its everyday landscape—workers and labourers captured in moments of effort, rest, and routine.

What stands out immediately is the headwear. Across trades and settings, the Basque beret appears again and again, worn with quiet consistency. Whether in fields, workshops, or along the roadside, it was a practical companion—shielding against wind and cold, yet light enough for long days of physical work.

There’s a certain dignity in these images. The beret, simple as it is, lends a sense of cohesion—almost a shared identity among men whose labour defined the rhythm of rural and industrial Sweden. It bridges function and form, blending seamlessly into both the landscape and the lives lived within it.

Seen today, these photographs offer more than documentation. They reveal how a garment, rooted in another region, became part of Sweden’s own visual and cultural fabric—worn not as a statement, but as an everyday essential. 

Basque Berets in Rural Sweden

More berets from Sweden.

Until well into the 1960s, travelling through rural Sweden could feel uncannily like passing through the Basque Country, as far as berets are concerned. Farmers, labourers, and townsfolk alike wore them as everyday headgear for its practicality and sturdyness.

The beret’s simplicity suited the Swedish climate and way of life, offering warmth without fuss. At the same time, it carried a certain understated elegance, bridging workwear and tradition.

Today, these images feel almost surreal: Swedish landscapes dotted with silhouettes more readily associated with southern Europe. Yet they speak to a time when clothing travelled freely across borders, shaped less by origin than by usefulness and appeal.

Georg Oddner

Georg Oddner (1923–2007) stands among the most influential Swedish photographers of the 20th century. Originally a jazz musician, he turned to photography in the 1940s after meeting art director John Melin in Malmö. 

What began in advertising—spanning industry, architecture, fashion, and work for Scandinavian Airlines System—soon evolved into a more personal photographic pursuit.

In the mid-1950s, Oddner travelled widely, from California to the Soviet Union and the Far East, capturing images shaped by curiosity and a keen observational eye. In 1958, he co-founded the influential collective Tio Fotografer and its agency Tiofoto, alongside leading contemporaries, helping redefine Swedish photography.

Working mainly with Hasselblad and Leica cameras, Oddner drew inspiration from masters such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Richard Avedon, developing a style that balanced precision with humanity.

This series of "Old Men with Berets" shows how universally the beret was worn in Sweden, only a few decades ago.

Ernst Stark

Ernst Stark was the gardener at Borgmästargården, Sweden for 50 years

More Berets from Mali

 

Social History and Cultural Heritage of Mali

From the Endangered Archives Programme (EAP449), Social History and Cultural Heritage of Mali brings together a remarkable visual record of a nation in transition.

The collection comprises around 27,000 digitised negatives and prints from the archives of Abdourahmane Sakaly and Mamadou Cissé—two of Mali’s earliest professional photographers. Spanning the 1940s to the 1960s, these fragile images document everyday life, from rural traditions and ceremonial practices to the rapid urbanisation of Bamako.

Captured across the late colonial period, independence, and the rise of socialism, the photographs trace profound social and political change. Alongside studio portraiture, the archives include scenes of military life, official visits, and even the coup that overthrew President Modibo Keïta.

The Sakaly collection, in particular, offers an intimate glimpse into Bamako’s emerging urban society—its elites, schoolchildren, and shifting cultural identity—seen through an unmistakably African lens.

Etha Richter

Etha Richter (1883 –1977) was a pioneering German sculptor and illustrator, best known for her realistic animal sculptures. She is widely recognised as Germany’s first female animal sculptor, having overcome significant barriers to study animal anatomy in a male-dominated field.

Richter specialized in Tierplastik (animal sculpture), creating detailed works in bronze, porcelain, stoneware, and plaster. Her subjects included domestic and exotic animals such as cats, leopards, elephants, and donkeys.

In 1968, she was appointed an honorary member of the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR. In 2015, a street in the Dresden-Striesen district was named after her to honour her contributions to the city's art community.

Kullen

 Hiker Axel Winter with beret and pipe between the rocks of Kullen, Sweden.

Photo by amateur photographer in the 1930s.

Heinrich Schilausky

Heinrich Schilausky (1912–after 2000) was a prominent German racing cyclist. During his career, he achieved approximately 200 victories.

His most notable success was winning the gold medal in the sprint event on the track at the 2nd workers' Olympiad in Vienna in 1931.

His athletic career effectively ended in January 1933 when the National Socialist party came to power and banned workers' sports clubs. Out of conviction, Schilausky refused to join any other club or turn professional.

Juli Soler i Santaló

 Juli Soler i Santaló (1865–1914) was a prominent Catalan engineer, photographer, and a pioneer of "pyrénéisme" (Pyrenean mountaineering). He is often remembered for his deep passion for the Pyrenees, particularly the Vall d'Aran and the Maladeta massif, where he dedicated his life to exploring and documenting the rugged landscapes of Catalonia and Aragon.

Soler was a leading figure in the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CEC) and was nicknamed the "Catalan Russell" after the famous mountaineer Henry Russell.

Discovered and documented important prehistoric cave paintings in El Cogul in 1908.