Sophie (Sophy) Adolfine Christensen (10 January 1867 – 31 July 1955) was one of Denmark's earliest female master carpenters and

furniture designers Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fur ...

. Thanks in part to the support she received from the

Danish Women's Society The Danish Women's Society or DWS ( da, Dansk Kvindesamfund) is Denmark's oldest women's rights organization. It was founded in 1871 by activist Matilde Bajer and her husband Fredrik Bajer; Fredrik was a Member of Parliament and the 1908 Nobel Peac ...

, she successfully completed her apprenticeship as a furniture maker in 1893 and attended the Chicago World Fair the same year. In 1895, she opened her own business in Copenhagen. After heading the Industrial Design School for Women from 1907 to 1916, she devoted the rest of her active life to running her own business.

Early life

Born in

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Jutland where she worked as a housemaid. When her mother died three years later, she returned to Copenhagen to look after her younger siblings.

Career

In 1888, Christensen worked for a woman who ran an embroidery business but earned very little. After her younger brother suggested she should take a carpentry course to improve her earnings, she took a three-month course at

Aksel Mikkelsen Aksel Mikkelsen (14 August 1849 in Hjørring – 19 October 1929 in Korsør) was a Danish educator who introduced the Swedish system of sloyd Sloyd (Swedish ), also known as educational sloyd, is a system of handicraft-based education star ...

's school and advanced quickly. It was unusual for women to work as carpenters at the time but thanks to one Mikkelsen, she came into contact with the Women's Society where the activist Emmy Kramp provided her with financial support and encouragement. In 1890, she succeeded in embarking on a training apprenticeship as a cabinet maker which she completed successfully in 1883. As a result, she was able to visit that year's World Fair in Chicago. She also widened her experience by travelling to France and Italy. In 1885, Christensen was able to open a furniture workshop in Copenhagen, the first woman to do so. From 1907 to 1916, she headed the Industrial Design School for Women but then returned to her business. Sophy Christensen died in Copenhagen on 31 July 1955 and is buried in

Bispebjerg Cemetery Bispebjerg Cemetery (Danish: Bispebjerg Kirkegård), established in 1903 on the moderately graded north slope of Bispebjerg Hill, is the newest of five municipal cemeteries in Copenhagen, Denmark. The main entrance to the cemetery is located next ...

Publications

*Christensen, Sophy A., ''Jeg vilde frem! Ungdoms Oplevelser af Danmarks første kvindelige Møbelsnedker'' (I wanted to succeed! Early experiences of Denmark's first female furniture designer), autobiography, 1928

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christensen, Sophy 1867 births 1955 deaths Danish furniture makers 20th-century Danish woodworkers 19th-century Danish woodworkers People from Holbæk Municipality 19th-century Danish businesswomen 19th-century Danish businesspeople 20th-century Danish businesswomen 20th-century Danish businesspeople Danish women company founders Danish furniture designers Danish carpenters Danish women designers