My First Camera and a Royal Letter

A good photographic print has always caught my eye. Every visit to my grandparents’ in their countryside home sparks an urge for a small house adventure. Wandering from room to room, I explore their collection of photographs.

From the drawing room, to the breakfast room, dining room, and onto the living room. Where does it end? I just don’t know. But, there are a few photographs that are particularly important to me.

The drawing room

My photo walks begin in the drawing room, overlooking the garden pond. In here, a collection of the greatest drawings by the grandchildren line the room. Hidden behind the door, however, is a large aerial photograph of the farmlands surrounding the house. I was about eight years old when the pilot knocked on our door to sell his aerial photography services. A month after the aerial photograph was delivered, my grandfather handed me a small box. Inside was my first camera, a black plastic film camera. He taught me the basics of photography, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Fun fact: the aerial photograph is also a splendid map of all the best hiding places in the gardens—can we please keep this a secret between you and I?

A warship’s tale

Years later, my grandfather came to my room to share another photograph, this one black and white, from his personal archives. The photo is of three men abroad a warship. He pointed out King Haakon VII of Norway among them and explained that this was him and the Norwegian Government being evacuated from Tromsø during WWII on June 7, 1940, by the British HMS Devonshire. This photo, taken by his uncle Harold, who served on the warship, captured a moment with little public documentation, making this a rather special photograph.

On May 13, 1945, the HMS Devonshire returned Crown Prince Olav V to Oslo, and on June 7, 1945, it escorted King Haakon VII and his family back to Norway.

In 2008, we sent the photo to The Royal Court of Norway. We received a courteous reply from Cabinet Secretary Berit Tversland, expressing the King’s gratitude for the photograph:

The journey through my grandparents’ photographs has taught me the value of preserving history, not just in grand narratives but in personal mementos. Each photo, each story, adds a layer to our understanding of the world, but more importantly the people around us.

Let’s cherish these traces of history, for they are the threads that weave our collective past. What stories might your family’s photographs tell?