In the exhibition, you could see the Hasselblad couple’s private photos, many of which had never been shown before. The texts that have so far been published about Victor Hasselblad and the history of the Hasselblad camera contain only fragmentary paraphrases of Erna. A closer look at the material in the foundation’s historical archive shows, however, that Erna and Victor seem to have been an inseparable couple. Together they built up a worldwide network of both personal and professional contacts. The many pictures show Erna’s participation during crucial moments in the company’s development. Without her efforts, the company probably would not have achieved the same great success. The exhibition’s ambition is to make Erna’s role in the history of the company and the camera even more visible. One year after Victor Hasselblad’s death, in 1979, the Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation was formed.
Erna was part of the foundation’s board until 1983, when she passed away. Commissioned by the Hasselblad Foundation, the artist Maria Friberg has created a work in memory of Erna Hasselblad. Inspired by the iconic images depicting footprints on the moon, Maria Friberg has photographed imprints of high-heeled shoes in Iceland’s lava sand and draws attention to the fact that no woman has ever been on the moon. The work is now part of the Hasselblad foundation’s collection.
