Page views on https://hjordisniven.com are reflecting that more and more people are at home and online during these strange and stressful days. I hope you are all safe and well.
A couple of years ago I thought that the story of Hjördis’ life was as complete as it was ever going to be. However, information just keeps on showing up, revealing all sorts of new paths to explore.
Hans Jonsson has kindly photographed the two school buildings in Salsåker that Hjördis attended before her family moved to Vivstavarv in 1931. The red building on the right catered for the 7-8 year olds. Older children were taught across the road to the timber framed building. It’s quite a surprise that both are still standing… and it’s downright amazing that the old smithy that used to terrify young Hjördis is also (just about) standing. Though I wouldn’t lean against it.
Sadly the Genbergs’ house in nearby Röksta no longer exists, and may have been pulled down as early as the 1940s.
[Daniel Spencer has commented that hjordisniven.com is becoming more of a graphic novel than a blog. If it’s heading that way… well, great!]
Moving on to the Genberg-Tersmeden year and a half, details have surfaced about Hjördis’ first marriage, to Carl Gustaf Tersmeden. Hjördis caused confusion by claiming in 1960 that the wedding took place in Azusa, California. Not so. The venue was actually Judge RH Lutes’ in-and-out-no-fuss Wedding Chapel, in Yuma, Arizona. Although only a small border town famous for growing winter lettuce, Yuma also became the fashionable venue for Californian stars who didn’t want to wait for their state’s statutory blood test before being granted a license.
When Hjördis arrived home in March 1946, the American fashions that she brought back were of such interest that her new wardrobe was described and illustrated across three pages for Swedish magazine Vårt Hem.
Our website attracts a lot of people most interested in Hjördis because of her modelling days, and the fashions that she was pictured in, so this new page is for them, and also serves as a snapshot of US fashion (for the well-heeled) between December 1945 and March 1946.
Much slower to turn up are details of Hjördis’ lost years of alcoholism following David Niven’s death, and her eventual recovery. But there is some new information that helps to tie it all together.
All site updates can be found on the site map page.
Very best wishes for now.
Hjördis Genberg Niven 