"Indeed," the Norwegian chuckles, talking to a tourist, "polar bears walk the streets everywhere in Norway!"

Well, in 1953, there _was_ a #PolarBear loose in #Bergen. Coming from the North, and supposed to be transferred to a ship going to a zoo Germany, mommy bear escaped and swam around the port for a while, before being recaptured and sent on – along with her two cubs. Quite the spectacle!

Photo by Edwood Christensen, via University of Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-ec-011-004t.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography

Fire at Karl Johans gate 31 (towards Rosenkrantz gate) in an extension to the Grand Hotel. The Rococo Hall in the extension was completed in 1894 as the hotel's and the city's finest banquet hall. It was richly decorated with gilded stucco and ceiling and wall paintings by decorative painter Wilhelm Krogh. The hall was destroyed by the fire.

Year: 1957 (24. October)

Photo: Unknown / Oslo Museum (CC BY-SA)

https://digitaltmuseum.no/0210111649980/brann-i-karl-johans-gate-31-mot-rosenkrantz-gate

#norskpix #oslo #norge #norway #historical

The traditional fish market in #Bergen sometime at the turn of the century.

Not that much activity in the middle of winter, I will grant you that – but fresh fish and goods have been sold here since 1730, when the inner bay was filled with stone masses to build up a market square.

Photo by Knoop, via University of Bergen Library:https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-knoop-359.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography

The Old City Hall of #Bergen. Or, at this point, in 1921, just The City Hall.

But it was quite old even at that point! Originally built in 1558 as a residence for fier (lensherre) Christian Valkendorff, already from 1561 it began seeing use as a magistrate meeting place, and was given to the city as a city hall in 1568.

After many fires and refurbishings over the centuries, it got its current look in 1885, and was used by city council until the new "sky scraper" nearby was done in 1974.

Photo by K. Knudsen & Co, via University of Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-kk-pk-0812.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #Architecture #BlackAndWhitePhotography

Kveldsstemning ved Stovnertårnet 2. desember 2025 #vinter2025 #winter2025 #desember2025 #december2025 #advent #advent2025 #arkitektur #architecture #park #stovnertårnet #groruddalen #stovner #fossumberget #oslo #norge #norway #norskpix

Pipervika before the city hall was built.

Year: 1928

Photo: Karl Harstad / Oslo Museum (CC CC0 1.0)

https://digitaltmuseum.no/0210111647314/flyvefoto-over-oslo

#norskpix #oslo #norge #norway #historical

Ah, the theatre!

Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage), here from the late 1920s, is the largest #theatre in #Bergen and one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway. Opened in 1909, the neoclassical building took on the world. Its original premiere was Ludvig Holberg's Erasmus Montanus.

Throughout the early 20th century DNS nurtured talents, cementing its role in shaping Norway’s artistic identity. It is seen here from Ole Bulls plass, the plaza and street named for the violinist and stage patron who initiated the original city theatre in 1850s.

It is still a theatre, and has been one of the state theatres of Norway since the 1990s. The current house has three stages – a main stage, and two smaller stages. Last refurbished in 2001 to almost its original shape, it is now closed down for a year to refurbish and upgrade.

Photo by Atelier KK, via University of Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-kk-pk-2265.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography

Ready for a dog show

Year: 1956
Photo: Dagbladet / Norsk Folkemuseum (CC BY-NC-ND)

https://digitaltmuseum.no/011013614622/mann-og-hund-i-bil-hundeutstilling-frogner-oslo-mai-1956

#norskpix #oslo #norge #norway #historical

After the 1916 #Bergen fire that destroyed most of the area in the middle of the city centre, Torgallmenningen was once again rebuilt as a firebreak (as it had been since the 1500s).

Here, Hotel Bristol and its adjacent neighbour gets built in the early 1920s, originally meant as a replacement for the inns of the city that had burned down, but later run as a private hotel.

Photo by Einar Helmers-Olsen, via University of Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-bs-ok-21159.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography

The crew.

Specifically, the crew of the fire station at Flesland #Airport, sometime in the early 70s.

Photo by ABC Foto, via University of #Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-abc-2590-015.html
#Norway #Norge #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography