Ólöf’s parents. Hildur Stefansdóttir from Audkúla by lake Svinavatn and Páll Ólafur Ólafsson from Hjardarholt in Dalir.
Ólöf’s maternal grandmother, Thorbjörg Halldorsdottir, is holding Hildur. F.l. Hilmar and Lárus. Soon after this photo was taken Thorbjörg died. Thorbjörg’s spinning wheel is one of the most treasured items of the Textile Museum in Blönduós.
Thorbjörg Halldórsdóttir.
Hildur Eiriksdóttir, mother of Thorbjörg Halldórsdóttir and great grandmother of Ólóf.
Ólöf’s maternal grandfather, Stefán M. Jónsson, was a priest at Audkúla, Húnavatnssýsla district. Stefán was considered to have a beautiful singing voice and he played the violin.
Stefán with his and Thorbjörg’s six children. Front row f.r. Hildur, Stefán M. Jónsson, Hilmar. Standing f.r. Lárus, Eiríkur, Björn. Five of their children died in infancy.
Back row f.l. Hilmar, Björn, Eiríkur.
Hildur Stefánsdóttir.
Hildur Stefánsdóttir (1893-1970)
Hildur Stefánsdóttir was an artistic weaver. She also played the organ with great sensitivity. Some of her textiles are preserved in the Textile Museum in Blönduós.
Once Hildur bumped into the renowned painter Kjarval in the street in Reykjavík. She began to remove her glove to shake Kjarval’s hand, but he slipped her hand back into her glove and said “I am not worthy to shake this hand.”
Hildur in Blonduos with her ‘Hildarbleikur’.
Hildur Stefánsdóttir.
Páll Ólafsson (1887-1971)
Páll Ólafsson was an organist, composer, poet and teacher, in addition to which he was Iceland’s first consul in the Faroe Islands, managing director and ship owner. He left behind Tíu sönglög (Ten Songs), edited by Carl Billich, 1970.
Ólöf’s paternal grandparents, f.r. Ingibjörg Pálsdóttir Mathiesen and Ólafur Ólafsson.
Ingibjörg Pálsdóttir Mathiesen.
Ólafur Ólafsson, provost in Hjardarholt.
Ólafur Ólafsson ran a school in Hjardarholt in Dalir. He was a prolific naive painter, and left behind manuscripts of his memoirs as well as a collection of original fairy tales in the style of H.C. Andersen. When he had moved to Reykjavik in his later years Ólafur taught Ólöf to read and write.
Ingibjörg and Ólafur with their two sons, f.l. Páll Ólafur and Jón Foss.
In the center is Ólöf’s great grandmother, Metta Kristin Ólafsdóttir. On her knee is Ólafur Bjornsson, later professor. Standing are Ólafur and his daughter Gudrún.
Ólöf was born in this house, Hólavellir, Reykjavik, 14 April 1920, and spent her earliest years there.
The view from Holavellir over Sudurgata and Tjörnin during the time when Ólöf lived there..1922
Ólöf (Lóla) two years old.
Hildur Stefánsdóttir with two of her daughters. Ólöf, holding the basket, and Thorbjörg.
Hildur, Ólöf, Ingibjörg, Stefán, Thorbjörg and Páll. Jens is not yet born.
Lóla feeds the cock at Torfastadir in Biskupstungur, farm of her mothers’ brother Rev. Eirikur Stefánsson.
The sisters on the steps of Holavellir. F.l. Thorbjörg, Ólöf, Ingibjörg.
F.l. Ólöf, her sister Thorbjörg and their nieces Gudrun and Ólöf Vilmundardaughters.
Ólöf in the arms of her mother. Above is her grandmother Ingibjörg and grandfather Ólafur. Beside the provost is Thorbjorg, and below is her sister Ingibjörg. To the left is Inga.
Ingibjörg, Jens, Thorbjörg and Ólöf at Bessastadir.
Helga IllugadóttirHelga milking the cow at Bessastadir.
Hildur Stefánsdóttir (left), in the center is Sigríður Pétursdóttir.
The sculptors. Thorbjörg and to the right, Ólöf.
Teenagehood
Sólvallagata 4.
Lóla with her cousin Jón Ólafsson from Brautarholt, Kjalarnes.
Þorbjörg, Ingibjörg, Ólöf.
In the garden of Sólvallagata 4, Reykjavik.
On the way to work at a company office in Copenhagen, 1936.
Lóla 17 years old.At Thingvellir lake with a friend.
