Sofia Ahlbom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sofia Carolina Ahlbom
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| Born | 25 November 1803 Västerås, Sweden
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| Died | 8 June 1868 (aged 64) Stockholm, Sweden
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| Nationality | Swedish |
| Known for | Engraving, Lithography, Photography, Writing, Drawing |
Sofia Carolina Ahlbom (born November 25, 1803 – died June 8, 1868) was a very talented Swedish artist. She was skilled in many areas, including drawing, engraving, lithography, and photography. Sofia also made maps, wrote stories and poems, and was a feminist, meaning she supported equal rights for women.
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A Creative Life
Sofia Ahlbom was born in Västerås, Sweden. Her father was a goldsmith, someone who makes things from gold. From a young age, Sofia showed a great talent for drawing. She learned from an engraver named Grandel, who taught her drawing and later how to engrave.
After her father passed away in 1822, Sofia and her sister Gustafva started a girls' school. This helped them support themselves and their mother. At the same time, Sofia also made engravings for goldsmiths in the city. A kind woman who admired Sofia's talent suggested she move to the capital city.
In 1832, Sofia moved to Stockholm with her mother and sister. There, she became a full-time professional artist. She never married, choosing to live with and support her family her whole life. People described Sofia as a lively person with a very practical way of looking at life. They said she was very smart and good at business. She died in Stockholm when she was 64 years old.
Engraving and Lithography
Sofia Ahlbom first became well-known for her engravings. She made detailed designs on copper, silver, and gold. From 1842 to 1843, she worked in Paris, France. There, she created several stone engravings for another artist named Jacob. Later, she also learned Lithography, which is a different way of printing images using a flat stone or metal plate. Sofia was able to travel abroad several times to study these art forms.
Photography Work
Sofia Ahlbom was also a professional photographer. In 1864, it was noted that she had been a successful photographer for several years. She was one of the early women to work in this new field.
Making Maps and More
Sofia Ahlbom worked as a map maker for the Navigationsskolan (University of Navigation) in Stockholm. She also created the detailed writing for medals. These included medals for the Stockholms Slöjdskola (Stockholm Arts and Crafts School) and the Krigsakademien vid Karlberg (War Academy in Karlberg). She also made the special writing for the book of family symbols for the Swedish House of Lords between 1861 and 1864.
As a Writer
Sofia Ahlbom was also a talented writer. She wrote both poetry and prose (regular stories or essays). People saw her as a very learned person who taught herself a lot. She was respected in groups of writers. The famous writer Fredrika Bremer spoke highly of Sofia Ahlbom in her book Livet i gamla världen (Life in the Old World) in 1862.
Helping Others
Sofia Ahlbom also cared about important social issues. In the 1850s, people were discussing how to create a retirement support system for professional female teachers. This idea was started by Josefina Deland with the Svenska lärarinnors pensionsförening (The Pension Fund for Female Teachers) in 1855.
However, the project was at risk of failing because of problems with how it was managed. Sofia Ahlbom took over from Deland as the secretary of the organization. She held this position from 1859 to 1864. She is given credit for organizing the fund very well. Her hard work saved the project from being stopped, helping many female teachers.
