Iceland review - 2016, Page 52

50 ICELAND REVIEW
AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE
Vigfús Sigurgeirsson was born on January 6,
1900, at Stóruvellir farm in Bárðardalur val-
ley, North Iceland. At the age of 20, he began
his photography studies in Akureyri. Starting in 1923,
he worked for half a century as photographer and
documentary film maker; first in Akureyri and then in
Reykjavík from 1936, becoming one of the country’s
most successful photographers of the era. He died in
1984.
His book, Myndir frá Íslandi (Pictures from Iceland),
published in 1930, was the first book of photographs
by an Icelandic photographer. His last book, Þjóðin,
landið og lýðveldið (The Nation, the Land and the
Republic), was published posthumously in 2008.
For more than 30 years, starting with the independ-
ence of the Republic of Iceland in 1944, he was the
president’s official photographer. His son, Gunnar
Vigfússon, took over his father’s job in 1976 and, to
this day, remains the photographer of the president
of Iceland.
The late photographer Vigfús Sigurgeirsson left behind
a record of life in Iceland during the 20th century.
BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
PHOTOS BY VIGFÚS SIGURGEIRSSON.
Vigfús’ big international break came in the early
1930s when his work caught the interest of German
photographer Walter Heering, who traveled to
Iceland to collect images from various photogra-
phers for a book about the country. Vigfús was
subsequently invited to Germany in 1935, where
he held a successful exhibition at the Kunsthalle
art museum in Hamburg. Three years later, his
Icelandic landscapes were exhibited at the World
Expo in New York City, and four of his documentary
films were also on the program.
Being a nation in search of and later acquiring
independence, Icelanders were highly concerned
with their country being portrayed in a favorable
light. This greatly influenced Vigfús’ work. He
thrived on showing Iceland at its best. And he did
it perfectly. With a great eye and superb technique.
His images tell a great story of the enormous
changes that took place in Iceland during the 20th
century. *

Vigfús Sigurgeirsson
in his studio in 1936.
Photographer unknown.