Stamps of Approval

Hilda Sjöblom Hongell, Mariehamn 1867–1952

Hilda was the first female master builder in Finland. She attended Helsingfors Industrial School, which, at the time, did not allow women to enroll. Between 1889 and 1902, seventy-four percent of all drafted designs in Mariehamn bear Hilda’s signature.

Paul Gustavson, Saltvik 1916–1977

Paul emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1922. He became a comic book artist and writer working for Marvel, DC Comics, and American Comics Group. He is the creator of the character Thomas Halloway/Angel for Marvel Comics. The character was a private detective/superhero.

Image courtesy of Åland Post Ltd.

Image courtesy of Åland Post Ltd.

Ulla Lena Lundberg, Kökar Living

Ulla Lena is a successful writer. She has written novels, poetry, travel writing, and historical works. She won the Finlandia Prize for fiction for her novel Ice, which was adapted for stage by the Finnish National Opera.

Image courtesy of Åland Post Ltd.

Sally Salminen, Vårdö 1906–1976

Sally wrote the novel Katrina, which has been translated into over twenty languages, while living in New York. She wrote eleven novels, four autobiographical works, and two works of nonfiction. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1937, 1938, and 1939.

Image courtesy of Åland Post Ltd.

Ture Bengtz, Jomala 1907–1973

Ture was an illustrator and artist. He had a television show on WBGH Boston called Bengtz on Drawing. He became close with the Carl Weyerhauser family which lead to the opening of The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He shared his success with Jomala when he designed the stained glass window for St. Olaf Church.

Image courtesy of Åland Post Ltd.

Sources Bengtz on Drawing. Open Vault by GBH, accessed June 21, 2022. https:// openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_0175B336BF1D439B80BA88C228BA143F

Jugendsalen. Hilda Hongell—byggnadskonstnärer i Mariehamn. Mariehamn, Åland, Finland: Ålandskapsregering, 2007. www.mariehamn.ax/sites.

Lundberg, Ulla-Lena 1947–. Mariehamn City Library, accessed June 16, 2022. https://www.bibliotek.ax/-/lundberg-ulla-lena.

Nomination Archive. Nobel Prize Organization, accessed June 19,2022. https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/. Paul Gustavson. Fandom Marel database, accessed June 19, 2022. https:// marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Gustavson.

Rask, Hedvig. Salminen, Sally 1906–1976. Biografiskt lexicon för Finland, 2014, accessed June19, 2022. https://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=5593.

Ture Bengtz. Wikipedia, accessed June 19, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Ture_Bengtz.