Natural Elegance

Karl-Gustav (K-G) Roos, Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s Alkupaita (Beginning shirt), 1957 / 2011 ink jet print, digitalised negatives .Donated in 1986

These shots taken of Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s dresses by K-G Roos (1937–1976) for Marimekko in 1957 represent the very latest in the Finnish fashion photography of their day. They were taken outdoors in natural light: on the shores of Helsinki, in Kaisaniemi Park, on Seurasaari Island, and in Seutula. The pictures were intended to embody naturalness and directness, not something suited to mannequins prancing about in front of a backcloth in a studio. Instead, an attempt was made to give the pictures the feel of real situations.

Karl-Gustav (K-G) Roos, Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s Asumistakki (Habitation coat), 1957 gelatin silver print. Donated in 1986
Karl-Gustav (K-G) Roos, Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s Asumistakki (Habitation coat), 1957 
gelatin silver print. Donated in 1986.

 

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Age is just a number

Photographer Hanna Weselius (b. 1972) wanted to challenge our antiquated notions of age, and our expectations of what elderly life is all about.

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Lace from Head to Toe

A fashion piece published in Suomen Kuvalehti magazine in May 1965: “New Lace without Arsenic” was shot at a summer cottage by photographer Kalle Kultala.

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The Face of Ambition

Press photographer Kalle Kultala was at his best when working among politicians and other wielders of power.

Collections

Museum's collections

The collections of the Finnish Museum of Photography include more than two million photographs. The collections focus on 20th-century Finnish photography, and are made up of both selected works by photographers and images from extensive photographic archives. The museum's collection of objects includes thousands of photography-related artefacts. The museum also has a paper archive and a photographic library.