Some eighty selected photographs from a family collection of 110 + photographs is currently on display at Dimbola Museum and Galleries at Freshwater Bay until Sunday 29th June.
The portfolio covers a period of 116 years from 1894, beginning with life in Sweden in the early years. Two World Wars are also covered.
Everyday life as well as cultural life in Paris in the 1950s and 1960s is well documented. Finally, the worlds of fashion and cinema from the sixties onwards are featured.
Inspired by grandmother
This fascinating body of work was inspired by Marika’s discovery of some 8,000 images taken by her grandmother Mia Green (1870-1949). These documentary style studies were not commissioned, they simply illustrated Mia’s love of photography. With Mia living in Northern Sweden near the border with Finland on the Gulf of Bothnia obviously snow looms large in the scenic views.
Mia’s son Lennart, Marika’s father, followed in his mother’s photographic footsteps. Some of his studies are of Paris in the 1930s.There are four studies of Salvador Dali including one of Dali with Marika. Stars of stage and cinema feature largely in Lennart’s section of the exhibition.
As you move around the gallery you see Geraldine Chaplin, Maurice Chevalier, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren amongst others.
Fashion shoots
A series of fashion magazine shots depict Marika taken by a number of well known photographers including Norman Parkinson.
Marika said all these photographers were excellent at their work and she felt that some of the clothes of the 1960s and 1970s depicted on these covers were timeless. As well as being a fashion model Marika acted in ‘Pickpocket’ 1959 and Emmanuelle 1974.
On film
Marika’s niece Eva has followed her aunt into acting having played Vesper Lynd in the James Bond venture Casino Royale 2006. Coming up to date, the two actresses are shown together in a video which also forms part of the exhibition.
In launching the exhibition and welcoming Marika and her husband Christian Berger to Dimbola, Dr. Brian Hinton MBE said that the collection offered beauty, celebrities, documentary, family and friendship.
First visit to the Island
The couple who had not been to the Isle of Wight before said that they thought the intimacy of Dimbola served the exhibition well and complimented Rachel Flynn who had arranged it.
Prior to this the exhibits had been on show in Paris and Vienna.
In February 2010, Christian Berger was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on The White Ribbon at the 82nd Academy Awards.
