Christine's Picture Book facts for kids
Christine's Picture Book (Swedish: Christines billedbog) is a very special scrapbook. It's one of three famous scrapbooks partly created by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Imagine a book filled with over a thousand pictures!
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Contents
Who Was Hans Christian Andersen?
Hans Christian Andersen was a well-known Danish writer. He wrote many famous fairy tales. He was good friends with a Danish family, the Stampes. This family included Baron Henrik Stampe and his wife Jonna Drewsen. Andersen was also friends with Jonna's father, Adolph Drewsen.
A Special Gift for Christine
Andersen became the godfather to the Stampes' daughter, Christine. She was born on October 30, 1856. Christine was named after her grandmother, Christine Stampe. For Christine's third birthday in 1859, Andersen and Adolph Drewsen made her a wonderful gift. They put together a unique scrapbook.
What's Inside the Book?
This special book has 122 pages. It holds over 1,000 pictures that were glued in. Some pictures have handwritten notes or poems next to them. Andersen was also very good at making paper cuts. You can find a few of his beautiful paper cuts in the book too.
The pictures came from many different European magazines and books. They show what European life was like in the 1850s. It's like a visual time capsule!
Books for Christine's Sisters
Christine wasn't the only one with a special book. Her sisters, Astrid and Rigmor, also had similar books. Astrid later became famous for working to improve women's rights. Rigmor married a composer named Victor Bendix.
Keeping the Story Alive
Years later, Christine's granddaughter-in-law, Countess Alette Bardenfleth, was inspired by the book. She started a foundation. This foundation helps projects about Danish history, literature, language, and music. In 1984, the foundation published Christine's Picture Book in several languages. A Swedish version came out in 1985. A TV show about the book was also made in 1985.
Today, Christine's Picture Book is kept at the Silkeborg Kunstmuseum. In 2005, the museum worked with the Royal Library of Copenhagen. Together, they made a digital version of the book. This means more people can now see this amazing piece of history!
- Dal, Erik, ed. Christine's Picture Book. London: Kingfisher Books, 1984.
