Alva Lundin (née Lindbohm;
May 11, 1889 – February 1972) was a Swedish
title card
In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...
and credit designer and artist. Lundin began writing title cards when title cards first came to
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
in 1919, several years after using title cards became common practice in the
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
film industry.
Lundin has been regarded as a leader in the writing of title cards.
Early life and education
Born in Kvillinge,
Östergötland
Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English li ...
in 1889, Lundin moved to
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
after the death of her father.
From 1904 to 1906, Lundin attended the female section of Tekniska Skolan, later renamed the
University College of Arts, Crafts, and Design,
where she studied a variety of drawing and design techniques.
This was during a time when attending art school as a woman in Sweden was an accepted but uncommon occurrence.
Following her studies, Lundin worked as an illustrator and calligrapher at AB Hasse W. Tullberg.
It is likely here that she would have met Sven Lundin, whom she married in 1915.
After their marriage, the couple started their own business called Lundins Ritbyrå (Lundin's Drawing Company).
Sven worked as the administrator while Alva worked as the artist.
Career
The transition to the use of title cards has been regarded as what ultimately elevated films from the status of primitivity, contributing what Katherine Nagels called "key visuotextual elements".
Lundin's career as a title card writer (1919-1960)
has been identified as beginning with the film ''
Sir Arne's Treasure
''Sir Arne's Treasure'' ( sv, Herr Arnes pengar) is a 1919 Swedish crime-drama film directed by Mauritz Stiller, starring Richard Lund, Hjalmar Selander, Concordia Selander and Mary Johnson. It is based on the novel '' The Treasure'' by Selma La ...
'' (''
Herr Arnes pengar'')
in 1919
with
Svensk Filmindustri
SF Studios is a Swedish film and television production and distribution company (both Swedish and international) with headquarters in Stockholm and local offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London. The studio is owned by Nordic media congl ...
.
Her success in that role lead to her continuance with
Svensk Filmindustri
SF Studios is a Swedish film and television production and distribution company (both Swedish and international) with headquarters in Stockholm and local offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London. The studio is owned by Nordic media congl ...
with increased responsibilities in the making of the 1920 film ''
Erotikon''.
Lundin's title cards followed the popularly used sequence for title cards of the time, and yet her work has been regarded as prolific, and she herself as the "Nestor of Swedish film calligraphers".
The effectiveness of Lundin's title cards have been regarded as contributing significantly to the viewers understanding, while simultaneously enhancing the humour of the film.
In 1924, ''Filmnyheter'' proclaimed Lundin to be "the only
wedishfilm title specialist",
a remarkable title to hold as a woman during a period when her presence in the industry was an anomaly.
Women artists in Sweden who were able to support themselves with their art were generally illustrators for children's books.
In 1927 Lundin began signing her cards AL.
Over her forty-year career, Lundin was credited as the title designer for 16 films, and contributed to nearly 500 films overall.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lundin, Alva
Swedish designers
People from Östergötland
Konstfack alumni
1889 births
1972 deaths
Women film pioneers