Johan Jarlbrink & Charlie Järpvall (eds.), Deskbound Cultures: Media and materialities at work (Lund: Mediehistoriskt arkiv/Media History Archives), 2022
Give me silence only, a desk, books, And solitude and undivided time, And like a lark cheering to... more Give me silence only, a desk, books, And solitude and undivided time, And like a lark cheering towards the heights My mind swings on a liberated wing, And the present, the ancient and the future, earth and heaven, And everything I touch will resound in verse. 1 Anders Robert von Kraemer, Diamanter i stenkol (1857) My energy derives from movement-from the shuddering of buses, the rumble of planes, trains' and ferries' rocking. [-] I've learned to write on trains and in hotels and waiting rooms. On the tray tables on planes. I take notes at lunch, under the table, or in the bathroom. I write in museum stairwells, in cafés, in the car on the shoulder of the motorway. 2 Olga Tokarczuk, Flights (2007) "The desk as we know it, is as good as dead," Dutch designer Frans Willigers claimed as he was presenting his new design, the Last Writing Desk, in 2016. According to Willigers, the traditional, heavy, and capacious desk with drawers had become useless in face of new ways of working and the general use of laptops. Work and writing, obviously, could be performed anywhere and on any imaginable surface. As noted by media scholar José van Dijck, writing has become an increasingly social venture that "happens everywhere" and "fills all pockets of time and space." 3 The Last Writing Desk, a streamlined hybrid between chair and table, embodied this transition from sedentary and place-bound work to a situation increasingly marked by mobility, movement, and spatial flexibility. Simultaneously challenging long-standing notions about writing as a solitary, private, and domestic activity, the Last Writing Desk was "ready for departure" and custom-made for momentary work in semi-public spaces such as the airport. 4
Strindbergsfejden är namnet på en mycket omfattande kultur- och samhällsdebatt som ägde rum i sve... more Strindbergsfejden är namnet på en mycket omfattande kultur- och samhällsdebatt som ägde rum i svenska tidningar åren 1910–1912. Den utlöstes av en strid ström ilskna artiklar skrivna av August Strindberg. Intill Strindbergs död skulle fejden komma att omfatta omkring tusen debattinlägg, mängder av karikatyrteckningar, samt involvera närmare trehundra personer och ett åttiotal tidningar. Ämnen som religion, politik och litteratur hörde till det som avhandlades. Men det som framförallt engagerade var det sätt på vilket debatten fördes, samt de berömda personer om vilken den handlade. Mycket framstår i efterhand som trivialt, och i samtiden uppfattades debatten inte sällan som ett lågvattenmärke i det offentliga livet. Ändå, eller just därför, är Strindbergsfejden en kulturhistoriskt intressant händelse. Genom den framträder de tongivande aktörerna i sekelskiftets litterära och politiska offentligheter, och den ger en förtätad bild av tidens aktuella samhällsfrågor, konflikter och debattklimat. I det följande redogörs för några av huvuddragen i Strindbergsfejden, med särskild tonvikt på debatten om de litterära grupperingarna åttital och nittital, samt på den parallella omförhandlingen av Strindbergs respektive Verner von Heidenstams positioner i offentligheten.
Frigörare? Moderna svenska samhällsdrömmar (red. Martin Kylhammar & Michael Godhe. Carlssons, 2005
Den lata hjärnan blev sin egen börda och hyllans klara andar aldrig lästa sågs vända ryggen åt de... more Den lata hjärnan blev sin egen börda och hyllans klara andar aldrig lästa sågs vända ryggen åt de lättjedästa som aldrig mer av tankar blevo störda
Jag har en känsla av att jag håller på att bli en institution, något väsenslöst, […] något slags ... more Jag har en känsla av att jag håller på att bli en institution, något väsenslöst, […] något slags firmamärke, så många människor söker göra affärer genom mig. 1
Lychnos: Årsbok för idé- och lärdomshistoria, 2013
"The hand on the paper. On personal archives and the materiality of celebrity". The present artic... more "The hand on the paper. On personal archives and the materiality of celebrity". The present article takes its departure in the early 19th century and the growing practice of collecting manuscripts and letters written by famous individuals. While positivist claims have under- scored the rational and scientific nature of archives and archival material, the article focuses on the material and emotional incentives behind such endeavors. Handwritten documents were not only cherished and preserved because of the knowledge they might contain, but also for constituting physical links to historical bodies. They were carriers of the aura of ce- lebrity and mediators of presence. More explicitly such incitements per- vaded the collections of 19th century museums where manuscripts and autographs were often put on display next to portraits, busts, clothes and other kinds of memorabilia. Independently of their substances and contents such objects were invested with biographical significance. Rather than accentuating a history specific to the archive, the article points to the trans-institutional practices through which a cultural heritage dedicated to the commemoration and veneration of national heroes was formed.
Die skandinavische Moderne und Europa: Transmission, exil, soziologie (edited by: Jens Bjerring-Hansen, Torben Jelsbak & Monica Wenusch), Wiener Studien zur Skandinavistik, , 2016
Transfers: Interdisciplinary Journal of Mobility Studies, 2021
Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defined by th... more Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defined by their functionality and rationality, but recent literary texts challenge such preconceptions by representing those spaces as multidimensional and meaningful. In this article, we examine literature through the lens of place making, seeking to understand in what ways literary representations are involved in renegotiations of transit space. Addressing two generic spaces of transit-the underground and the airport-we analyze a body of texts generated through initiatives relating to the London Underground and Heathrow Airport respectively. Arguing that literature contributes to a processual understanding of place, we conclude that literary texts should be considered as instances of place making, and thus deserve serious consideration in research.
Samlaren. Tidskrift för svensk litteraturvetenskaplig forskning, 2005
"The Battle of Posterity: Heidenstam’s Last Will and the Controversy of its Interpretation"
Th... more "The Battle of Posterity: Heidenstam’s Last Will and the Controversy of its Interpretation"
The essay deals with the last and, to a great extent, unexplored years of the life of Verner
von Heidenstam (1859–1940), and in particular with the difficulties concerning the establishment and interpretation of his will. The two decades following Heidenstam’s successful debut in 1888 were marked by a tremendous growth of fame and renown. He was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1912 and received the Nobel Prize in 1916. Shortly thereafter, however, he fell into silence. The first signs of senile decay appeared in the early 1930s and his further deterioration provided the opportunity for a small crowd of people to influence the design of his will. In the years prior to his death, a misdirected concern for the writer’s place in history was prevalent among people close to him, and his heritage therefore became a mix of myth and falsehood. In the effort to exert influence on the writer’s posthumous reputation, the truth about his life in old age was disregarded. The violation of Heidenstam’s integrity involved among other things the eviction and deletion of his common-law wife and the simultaneous reintroduction of his first, lawfully wedded wife. The main beneficiary of Heidenstam’s will was the Övralid Foundation, which was assigned the task of administrating his estate, literary remains and fortune. The earlier intrigues now caused difficulties within the management of the foundation concerning the interpretation and execution of the will. Disagreement regarding the testator’s health and his soundness of mind when signing the will led to continuous conflicts which in many ways would have impact on the subsequent view of Verner von Heidenstam in literary history.
"Early aviation and the press. Journalism, advertising, and the celebrity pilot"
In the first ... more "Early aviation and the press. Journalism, advertising, and the celebrity pilot"
In the first years of the twentieth century, numerous attempts were made
at powered flight. What is commonly labelled ‘the pioneer era’ (1900–1914)
covers the unsteady beginnings of the motorized airplane as well as its
large-scale introduction in warfare and for the transportation of goods and
passengers. Initially regarded as a foolish toy for hazardous adventure, the
airplane rapidly became a favoured symbol of modernity, and the engineers,
pilots, and entrepreneurs involved were celebrated as the heroes of progress.
However, the quick change in opinion regarding the use and benefit of
airplanes was not only prompted by the technical skill of the inventors or
the bravery of the flyers. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the media
history of early aviation, including the celebrity pilot as an important means
by which aviation was publicly experienced and popularized. Through a case
study of the mediatization of the first Swedish aviator, Carl Cederström
(1867–1918), the article explores the interplay of the press, other kinds of media,
and advertising in the introduction of the motorized airplane in Sweden
in around 1910.
At this time, air shows and competitions were being arranged all over
the world. The media coverage was massive, and the aviators were frequently
interviewed and celebrated. The press, however, did not only report on the
events. By offering prizes and arranging competitions, individual newspapers
played an active role in the introduction of powered flight. When the
Stockholm Air Show was held in 1910 and 1911, one of the Stockholm dailies,
Dagens Nyheter, was among the main organizers. The relation between the
air show and the press coverage can be interpreted in terms of a feedback
loop: the reporting drew attention to the show; the show became a mass
attraction; and the papers reported it even more. At the centre of attention
was always the aviator Cederström himself, popularly known as ‘The Flying
Baron’. The status of this persona and the participation of the press, the cinema,
and postcard publishers also made the air shows attractive for sponsors
such as champagne houses, patent medicine companies, and manufacturers of
fire equipment. It was this joint attention that quickly transformed a limited
concern into national awareness. When the Swedish armed forces in 1912
sought funding for its first aircraft, the politicians were easily convinced of
the benefits of aviation.
Keywords: celebrity culture, media history, aviation, new journalism, marketing
To what extent is it possible to combine the concept of a national museum with a multi-cultural a... more To what extent is it possible to combine the concept of a national museum with a multi-cultural approach? What is the role of a European dimension versus universalised citizenship and human rights? ... The responses have differed widely between European national museums, and ...
If most academic debates surrounding the recent boom of ancient DNA (aDNA) so far have concerned ... more If most academic debates surrounding the recent boom of ancient DNA (aDNA) so far have concerned conflicting research epistemologies, this article is a call for taking aspects of media and communication more seriously. Analyzing the fates of two recent research papers on Viking Age Scandinavia, we show how aDNA research is communicated, narrated and infused with meaning in the public sphere, particularly in relation to popular narratives and political debates. We observe significant interlacing of scientific, political and media discourses in and around the papers, and conclude that archaeogenetics is a highly mediatized scientific field.
Johan Jarlbrink & Charlie Järpvall (eds.), Deskbound Cultures: Media and materialities at work (Lund: Mediehistoriskt arkiv/Media History Archives), 2022
Give me silence only, a desk, books, And solitude and undivided time, And like a lark cheering to... more Give me silence only, a desk, books, And solitude and undivided time, And like a lark cheering towards the heights My mind swings on a liberated wing, And the present, the ancient and the future, earth and heaven, And everything I touch will resound in verse. 1 Anders Robert von Kraemer, Diamanter i stenkol (1857) My energy derives from movement-from the shuddering of buses, the rumble of planes, trains' and ferries' rocking. [-] I've learned to write on trains and in hotels and waiting rooms. On the tray tables on planes. I take notes at lunch, under the table, or in the bathroom. I write in museum stairwells, in cafés, in the car on the shoulder of the motorway. 2 Olga Tokarczuk, Flights (2007) "The desk as we know it, is as good as dead," Dutch designer Frans Willigers claimed as he was presenting his new design, the Last Writing Desk, in 2016. According to Willigers, the traditional, heavy, and capacious desk with drawers had become useless in face of new ways of working and the general use of laptops. Work and writing, obviously, could be performed anywhere and on any imaginable surface. As noted by media scholar José van Dijck, writing has become an increasingly social venture that "happens everywhere" and "fills all pockets of time and space." 3 The Last Writing Desk, a streamlined hybrid between chair and table, embodied this transition from sedentary and place-bound work to a situation increasingly marked by mobility, movement, and spatial flexibility. Simultaneously challenging long-standing notions about writing as a solitary, private, and domestic activity, the Last Writing Desk was "ready for departure" and custom-made for momentary work in semi-public spaces such as the airport. 4
Strindbergsfejden är namnet på en mycket omfattande kultur- och samhällsdebatt som ägde rum i sve... more Strindbergsfejden är namnet på en mycket omfattande kultur- och samhällsdebatt som ägde rum i svenska tidningar åren 1910–1912. Den utlöstes av en strid ström ilskna artiklar skrivna av August Strindberg. Intill Strindbergs död skulle fejden komma att omfatta omkring tusen debattinlägg, mängder av karikatyrteckningar, samt involvera närmare trehundra personer och ett åttiotal tidningar. Ämnen som religion, politik och litteratur hörde till det som avhandlades. Men det som framförallt engagerade var det sätt på vilket debatten fördes, samt de berömda personer om vilken den handlade. Mycket framstår i efterhand som trivialt, och i samtiden uppfattades debatten inte sällan som ett lågvattenmärke i det offentliga livet. Ändå, eller just därför, är Strindbergsfejden en kulturhistoriskt intressant händelse. Genom den framträder de tongivande aktörerna i sekelskiftets litterära och politiska offentligheter, och den ger en förtätad bild av tidens aktuella samhällsfrågor, konflikter och debattklimat. I det följande redogörs för några av huvuddragen i Strindbergsfejden, med särskild tonvikt på debatten om de litterära grupperingarna åttital och nittital, samt på den parallella omförhandlingen av Strindbergs respektive Verner von Heidenstams positioner i offentligheten.
Frigörare? Moderna svenska samhällsdrömmar (red. Martin Kylhammar & Michael Godhe. Carlssons, 2005
Den lata hjärnan blev sin egen börda och hyllans klara andar aldrig lästa sågs vända ryggen åt de... more Den lata hjärnan blev sin egen börda och hyllans klara andar aldrig lästa sågs vända ryggen åt de lättjedästa som aldrig mer av tankar blevo störda
Jag har en känsla av att jag håller på att bli en institution, något väsenslöst, […] något slags ... more Jag har en känsla av att jag håller på att bli en institution, något väsenslöst, […] något slags firmamärke, så många människor söker göra affärer genom mig. 1
Lychnos: Årsbok för idé- och lärdomshistoria, 2013
"The hand on the paper. On personal archives and the materiality of celebrity". The present artic... more "The hand on the paper. On personal archives and the materiality of celebrity". The present article takes its departure in the early 19th century and the growing practice of collecting manuscripts and letters written by famous individuals. While positivist claims have under- scored the rational and scientific nature of archives and archival material, the article focuses on the material and emotional incentives behind such endeavors. Handwritten documents were not only cherished and preserved because of the knowledge they might contain, but also for constituting physical links to historical bodies. They were carriers of the aura of ce- lebrity and mediators of presence. More explicitly such incitements per- vaded the collections of 19th century museums where manuscripts and autographs were often put on display next to portraits, busts, clothes and other kinds of memorabilia. Independently of their substances and contents such objects were invested with biographical significance. Rather than accentuating a history specific to the archive, the article points to the trans-institutional practices through which a cultural heritage dedicated to the commemoration and veneration of national heroes was formed.
Die skandinavische Moderne und Europa: Transmission, exil, soziologie (edited by: Jens Bjerring-Hansen, Torben Jelsbak & Monica Wenusch), Wiener Studien zur Skandinavistik, , 2016
Transfers: Interdisciplinary Journal of Mobility Studies, 2021
Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defined by th... more Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defined by their functionality and rationality, but recent literary texts challenge such preconceptions by representing those spaces as multidimensional and meaningful. In this article, we examine literature through the lens of place making, seeking to understand in what ways literary representations are involved in renegotiations of transit space. Addressing two generic spaces of transit-the underground and the airport-we analyze a body of texts generated through initiatives relating to the London Underground and Heathrow Airport respectively. Arguing that literature contributes to a processual understanding of place, we conclude that literary texts should be considered as instances of place making, and thus deserve serious consideration in research.
Samlaren. Tidskrift för svensk litteraturvetenskaplig forskning, 2005
"The Battle of Posterity: Heidenstam’s Last Will and the Controversy of its Interpretation"
Th... more "The Battle of Posterity: Heidenstam’s Last Will and the Controversy of its Interpretation"
The essay deals with the last and, to a great extent, unexplored years of the life of Verner
von Heidenstam (1859–1940), and in particular with the difficulties concerning the establishment and interpretation of his will. The two decades following Heidenstam’s successful debut in 1888 were marked by a tremendous growth of fame and renown. He was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1912 and received the Nobel Prize in 1916. Shortly thereafter, however, he fell into silence. The first signs of senile decay appeared in the early 1930s and his further deterioration provided the opportunity for a small crowd of people to influence the design of his will. In the years prior to his death, a misdirected concern for the writer’s place in history was prevalent among people close to him, and his heritage therefore became a mix of myth and falsehood. In the effort to exert influence on the writer’s posthumous reputation, the truth about his life in old age was disregarded. The violation of Heidenstam’s integrity involved among other things the eviction and deletion of his common-law wife and the simultaneous reintroduction of his first, lawfully wedded wife. The main beneficiary of Heidenstam’s will was the Övralid Foundation, which was assigned the task of administrating his estate, literary remains and fortune. The earlier intrigues now caused difficulties within the management of the foundation concerning the interpretation and execution of the will. Disagreement regarding the testator’s health and his soundness of mind when signing the will led to continuous conflicts which in many ways would have impact on the subsequent view of Verner von Heidenstam in literary history.
"Early aviation and the press. Journalism, advertising, and the celebrity pilot"
In the first ... more "Early aviation and the press. Journalism, advertising, and the celebrity pilot"
In the first years of the twentieth century, numerous attempts were made
at powered flight. What is commonly labelled ‘the pioneer era’ (1900–1914)
covers the unsteady beginnings of the motorized airplane as well as its
large-scale introduction in warfare and for the transportation of goods and
passengers. Initially regarded as a foolish toy for hazardous adventure, the
airplane rapidly became a favoured symbol of modernity, and the engineers,
pilots, and entrepreneurs involved were celebrated as the heroes of progress.
However, the quick change in opinion regarding the use and benefit of
airplanes was not only prompted by the technical skill of the inventors or
the bravery of the flyers. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the media
history of early aviation, including the celebrity pilot as an important means
by which aviation was publicly experienced and popularized. Through a case
study of the mediatization of the first Swedish aviator, Carl Cederström
(1867–1918), the article explores the interplay of the press, other kinds of media,
and advertising in the introduction of the motorized airplane in Sweden
in around 1910.
At this time, air shows and competitions were being arranged all over
the world. The media coverage was massive, and the aviators were frequently
interviewed and celebrated. The press, however, did not only report on the
events. By offering prizes and arranging competitions, individual newspapers
played an active role in the introduction of powered flight. When the
Stockholm Air Show was held in 1910 and 1911, one of the Stockholm dailies,
Dagens Nyheter, was among the main organizers. The relation between the
air show and the press coverage can be interpreted in terms of a feedback
loop: the reporting drew attention to the show; the show became a mass
attraction; and the papers reported it even more. At the centre of attention
was always the aviator Cederström himself, popularly known as ‘The Flying
Baron’. The status of this persona and the participation of the press, the cinema,
and postcard publishers also made the air shows attractive for sponsors
such as champagne houses, patent medicine companies, and manufacturers of
fire equipment. It was this joint attention that quickly transformed a limited
concern into national awareness. When the Swedish armed forces in 1912
sought funding for its first aircraft, the politicians were easily convinced of
the benefits of aviation.
Keywords: celebrity culture, media history, aviation, new journalism, marketing
To what extent is it possible to combine the concept of a national museum with a multi-cultural a... more To what extent is it possible to combine the concept of a national museum with a multi-cultural approach? What is the role of a European dimension versus universalised citizenship and human rights? ... The responses have differed widely between European national museums, and ...
If most academic debates surrounding the recent boom of ancient DNA (aDNA) so far have concerned ... more If most academic debates surrounding the recent boom of ancient DNA (aDNA) so far have concerned conflicting research epistemologies, this article is a call for taking aspects of media and communication more seriously. Analyzing the fates of two recent research papers on Viking Age Scandinavia, we show how aDNA research is communicated, narrated and infused with meaning in the public sphere, particularly in relation to popular narratives and political debates. We observe significant interlacing of scientific, political and media discourses in and around the papers, and conclude that archaeogenetics is a highly mediatized scientific field.
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Papers by Andreas Nyblom
I det följande redogörs för några av huvuddragen i Strindbergsfejden, med särskild tonvikt på debatten om de litterära grupperingarna åttital och nittital, samt på den parallella omförhandlingen av Strindbergs respektive Verner von Heidenstams positioner i offentligheten.
The essay deals with the last and, to a great extent, unexplored years of the life of Verner
von Heidenstam (1859–1940), and in particular with the difficulties concerning the establishment and interpretation of his will. The two decades following Heidenstam’s successful debut in 1888 were marked by a tremendous growth of fame and renown. He was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1912 and received the Nobel Prize in 1916. Shortly thereafter, however, he fell into silence. The first signs of senile decay appeared in the early 1930s and his further deterioration provided the opportunity for a small crowd of people to influence the design of his will. In the years prior to his death, a misdirected concern for the writer’s place in history was prevalent among people close to him, and his heritage therefore became a mix of myth and falsehood. In the effort to exert influence on the writer’s posthumous reputation, the truth about his life in old age was disregarded. The violation of Heidenstam’s integrity involved among other things the eviction and deletion of his common-law wife and the simultaneous reintroduction of his first, lawfully wedded wife. The main beneficiary of Heidenstam’s will was the Övralid Foundation, which was assigned the task of administrating his estate, literary remains and fortune. The earlier intrigues now caused difficulties within the management of the foundation concerning the interpretation and execution of the will. Disagreement regarding the testator’s health and his soundness of mind when signing the will led to continuous conflicts which in many ways would have impact on the subsequent view of Verner von Heidenstam in literary history.
In the first years of the twentieth century, numerous attempts were made
at powered flight. What is commonly labelled ‘the pioneer era’ (1900–1914)
covers the unsteady beginnings of the motorized airplane as well as its
large-scale introduction in warfare and for the transportation of goods and
passengers. Initially regarded as a foolish toy for hazardous adventure, the
airplane rapidly became a favoured symbol of modernity, and the engineers,
pilots, and entrepreneurs involved were celebrated as the heroes of progress.
However, the quick change in opinion regarding the use and benefit of
airplanes was not only prompted by the technical skill of the inventors or
the bravery of the flyers. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the media
history of early aviation, including the celebrity pilot as an important means
by which aviation was publicly experienced and popularized. Through a case
study of the mediatization of the first Swedish aviator, Carl Cederström
(1867–1918), the article explores the interplay of the press, other kinds of media,
and advertising in the introduction of the motorized airplane in Sweden
in around 1910.
At this time, air shows and competitions were being arranged all over
the world. The media coverage was massive, and the aviators were frequently
interviewed and celebrated. The press, however, did not only report on the
events. By offering prizes and arranging competitions, individual newspapers
played an active role in the introduction of powered flight. When the
Stockholm Air Show was held in 1910 and 1911, one of the Stockholm dailies,
Dagens Nyheter, was among the main organizers. The relation between the
air show and the press coverage can be interpreted in terms of a feedback
loop: the reporting drew attention to the show; the show became a mass
attraction; and the papers reported it even more. At the centre of attention
was always the aviator Cederström himself, popularly known as ‘The Flying
Baron’. The status of this persona and the participation of the press, the cinema,
and postcard publishers also made the air shows attractive for sponsors
such as champagne houses, patent medicine companies, and manufacturers of
fire equipment. It was this joint attention that quickly transformed a limited
concern into national awareness. When the Swedish armed forces in 1912
sought funding for its first aircraft, the politicians were easily convinced of
the benefits of aviation.
Keywords: celebrity culture, media history, aviation, new journalism, marketing
http://mediehistorisktarkiv.se/bocker/mediernas-kulturhistoria/
I det följande redogörs för några av huvuddragen i Strindbergsfejden, med särskild tonvikt på debatten om de litterära grupperingarna åttital och nittital, samt på den parallella omförhandlingen av Strindbergs respektive Verner von Heidenstams positioner i offentligheten.
The essay deals with the last and, to a great extent, unexplored years of the life of Verner
von Heidenstam (1859–1940), and in particular with the difficulties concerning the establishment and interpretation of his will. The two decades following Heidenstam’s successful debut in 1888 were marked by a tremendous growth of fame and renown. He was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1912 and received the Nobel Prize in 1916. Shortly thereafter, however, he fell into silence. The first signs of senile decay appeared in the early 1930s and his further deterioration provided the opportunity for a small crowd of people to influence the design of his will. In the years prior to his death, a misdirected concern for the writer’s place in history was prevalent among people close to him, and his heritage therefore became a mix of myth and falsehood. In the effort to exert influence on the writer’s posthumous reputation, the truth about his life in old age was disregarded. The violation of Heidenstam’s integrity involved among other things the eviction and deletion of his common-law wife and the simultaneous reintroduction of his first, lawfully wedded wife. The main beneficiary of Heidenstam’s will was the Övralid Foundation, which was assigned the task of administrating his estate, literary remains and fortune. The earlier intrigues now caused difficulties within the management of the foundation concerning the interpretation and execution of the will. Disagreement regarding the testator’s health and his soundness of mind when signing the will led to continuous conflicts which in many ways would have impact on the subsequent view of Verner von Heidenstam in literary history.
In the first years of the twentieth century, numerous attempts were made
at powered flight. What is commonly labelled ‘the pioneer era’ (1900–1914)
covers the unsteady beginnings of the motorized airplane as well as its
large-scale introduction in warfare and for the transportation of goods and
passengers. Initially regarded as a foolish toy for hazardous adventure, the
airplane rapidly became a favoured symbol of modernity, and the engineers,
pilots, and entrepreneurs involved were celebrated as the heroes of progress.
However, the quick change in opinion regarding the use and benefit of
airplanes was not only prompted by the technical skill of the inventors or
the bravery of the flyers. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the media
history of early aviation, including the celebrity pilot as an important means
by which aviation was publicly experienced and popularized. Through a case
study of the mediatization of the first Swedish aviator, Carl Cederström
(1867–1918), the article explores the interplay of the press, other kinds of media,
and advertising in the introduction of the motorized airplane in Sweden
in around 1910.
At this time, air shows and competitions were being arranged all over
the world. The media coverage was massive, and the aviators were frequently
interviewed and celebrated. The press, however, did not only report on the
events. By offering prizes and arranging competitions, individual newspapers
played an active role in the introduction of powered flight. When the
Stockholm Air Show was held in 1910 and 1911, one of the Stockholm dailies,
Dagens Nyheter, was among the main organizers. The relation between the
air show and the press coverage can be interpreted in terms of a feedback
loop: the reporting drew attention to the show; the show became a mass
attraction; and the papers reported it even more. At the centre of attention
was always the aviator Cederström himself, popularly known as ‘The Flying
Baron’. The status of this persona and the participation of the press, the cinema,
and postcard publishers also made the air shows attractive for sponsors
such as champagne houses, patent medicine companies, and manufacturers of
fire equipment. It was this joint attention that quickly transformed a limited
concern into national awareness. When the Swedish armed forces in 1912
sought funding for its first aircraft, the politicians were easily convinced of
the benefits of aviation.
Keywords: celebrity culture, media history, aviation, new journalism, marketing
http://mediehistorisktarkiv.se/bocker/mediernas-kulturhistoria/