Anders Beer Wilse (12 June 1865 – 21 February 1949) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
photographer
A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographe ...
who documented Norway in the early to mid-20th century and also worked in the United States.
Wilse was born in
Flekkefjord
is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Flekkefjord. The villages of Sira, Gyland, Rasvåg, Kirkehavn, and Åna-Sira are lo ...
, but grew up in
Kragerø
Kragerø () is a List of cities in Norway, town and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. ...
and decided early to become a sailor. After having graduated with a technical degree from the technical school in
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand an ...
in 1882, Wilse emigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1884. He did not find work in the beginning, but eventually settled in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
working for the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
. He is reported to have acquired his first camera in 1886. He opened a photography store in Seattle in 1897, after having visited Norway, and married Helen Marie Hutchinson.
![Knut Hamsun, by Anders Beer Wilse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Knut_Hamsun%2C_by_Anders_Beer_Wilse.jpg)
In 1900, his wife and children moved to Norway, and Wilse himself joined them, opening a photography store in
Christiania in 1901, after 17 years in the United States.
Work
Wilse traveled extensively in Norway, both on assignment and for his own interest. He brought his 10 kg camera to inaccessible places through rugged terrain, going as far north as
Svalbard
Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...
.
![Gausta, photo by Anders Beer Wilse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Gausta%2C_photo_by_Anders_Beer_Wilse.jpg)
He photographed both natural sceneries and people at work, including the fishing industry in
Lofoten
Lofoten () is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvær ...
before the introduction of motorized boats. His photography business was also a commercial success, and he acquired among other things the entire archive of
Axel Lindahl
Axel Theodor Lindahl (27 July 1841 – 11 December 1906) was a Swedish photographer notable for his early photography of Norwegian landscapes.
Lindahl was born in Mariestad in southwestern Sweden. With his brother Udo he opened his own pho ...
, who had photographed scenes in Norway in the 1880s and 1890s. His photos also appeared in National Geographic Magazine.
Family
![Anders Beer Wilse ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Anders_Beer_Wilse_ca._1940_OB.F06545a.jpg)
Wilse's son Robert Charles Wilse (10 December 1897 - 11 September 1969) was also a photographer.
Work
Wilse left behind about 200,000 images. Most of his negatives are now preserved at museums, including
Norsk Folkemuseum
Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History), at Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway, is a museum of cultural history with extensive collections of artifacts from all social groups and all regions of the country. It also incorporates a large open- ...
, where more than 100,000 sceneries and ethnological images are held,
Oslo Bymuseum for images related to the history of Oslo, the
National Library of Norway
The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened i ...
for portrait photography, and the
Norwegian Maritime Museum
The Norwegian Maritime Museum ( no, Norsk Maritimt Museum) is located at Bygdøynesveien on the Bygdøy peninsula, on the western side of Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Maritime Museum is situated near several other museums, including the Fram Muse ...
for maritime photographs.
![Enerhauggata 1903 Anders Beer Wilse OMU OB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Enerhauggata_1903_Anders_Beer_Wilse_OMU_OB.Y1319.jpg)
A collection of his negatives also kept in the
Chusseau-Flaviens collection at
George Eastman House
The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...
. These images are being scanned digitally, and many are available online. In 2014 Wilse's photos were included in "Norges dokumentarv" - the most important documentary heritage of Norway. ''Dagens Næringsliv'' describes Wilse as Norway's most prominent photographer. He left behind a cultural heritage, the newspaper writes.
[Dagens Næringsliv, D2, 23 October 2015.]
Gallery
File:Portrett av fotograf Anders Beer Wilse (1865-1949), 1892 - Portrait of photographer Anders Beer Wilse (1865-1949), 1892 (24173735419).jpg, Wilse, 1892
File:Knudtzongården, Kristiansund, 1919, Anders Beer Wilse, NF.WK 01535.jpg, Knudtzongården, Kristiansund
File:Håndkolorert dias. Fotografen Anders Beer Wilse sykler nedover en kjerrevei. (9459037122) (cropped).jpg
File:Klippfisktørking, Kristiansund, 11. august 1922, Anders Beer Wilse, NF.W 22925.jpg
File:Håndkolorert lysbilde. Portrett av fotografen Anders Beer Wilse til hest i en dal. (9471831102).jpg
File:Seattle and the Orient 21.jpg, A. Wilse photo from ''Seattle and the Orient'' brochure
References
External links
Galleri Nor image libraryGuide to the Anders Beer Wilse Photographs at the Museum of History & Industry, SeattleGuide to a collection of photographs by Wilse and the Seattle Photographic Company taken between 1892 and 1913, including images of Native Americans, Indian crafts, the Seattle Fire Department, and Seattle buildings, parks and waterfront.
Guide to the Anders Beer Wilse Philippine American War Photo Album at the Museum of History & Industry, SeattleGuide to an album of photographs by Wilse, taken in August 1899, of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry in Seattle preparing to embark for the Philippines.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilse, Anders Beer
1865 births
1949 deaths
19th-century Norwegian photographers
People from Kragerø
People from Flekkefjord
Rail transport photographers