Objects Database

H B Bjornstad Swiss Skis.

Accession Number

686.2008.1

Object Name

H B Bjornstad Swiss Skis.

Created

17/12/2008

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

17/12/2008

Brief Description

Pair of Swiss wooden skis with black lacquered upper side. Complete metal bindings slotted through ski , with leather heel straps and leather footplates.

Materials

wood, metal, leather

Dimensions

120(l) cms At widest part 9.7(w) cms

Number Of Objects

1 pair

Inscription Description

"H B BJORNSTAD & CO BERN" on sole at tip. A label attached reads "FROM THE ROYAL HOTEL TYNDRUM TO MRS BRUCE DOUGLAS HOTEL MARKET STREET ABERDEEN"

Colour

dark brown

Maker

H B BJORNSTAD & CO BERN

Object Production Place

Switzerland

Provenance

Thorleif Bjørnstad was a Norwegian skier of some renown and with the sport of skiing becoming ever more popular at the birth of the 20th century the Swiss decided they needed some lessons on the Scandinavian way of doing things. Consequently, Bjørnstad and fellow Norwegian, Leif Berg, arrived in Switzerland in 1905 and by all accounts they were a huge success.
We know that Bjørnstad ultimately settled in the Swiss town of Bern, but we've been unable to find any actual evidence of him setting up a ski manufacturing business there. However, the chances of anyone else with a name like Bjørnstad living in Bern at the time, who also knew about skiing, are pretty slim, and although 'made in Bern' this set of skis could easily be mistaken for a pair of Norwegian, Telemark skis.
Also whilst stamped with the name Bjørnstad, the toe bindings are almost exact replicas of the Huitfeldt binding that had been invented by a fellow Norwegian back in the 1890's - and there's yet another twist as the heel straps are very much of the Sigurd Høyer - Ellefson design - also Norwegian.
So we're pretty sure we've got the right man(or a descendent) for the progenitor of these skis and think they could be 'Norwegain skis made in Switzerland'!!
We suspect the skis date from the 1920's and there's another little 'twist' that comes with the attached , and now very faded label which reads:-
" From the Royal Hotel, Tyndrum, to Mrs Bruce, Douglas Hotel, Market Street, Aberdeen"

William Spiers Bruce was the founder and first president of The Scottish Ski Club - maybe these skis belonged to his wife!

Acquisition Method

Part of collection passed on from Scottish Ski Club

Acquisition Date

01/12/2008

Condition Check Date

28/04/2009

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

28/04/2009

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