Techno-Thursday

Alf Bjercke Funkisfarger and lacquer factory

Colors and painted surfaces characterize our surroundings. In the 20th century there was a revolution in paints and varnishes used outside and inside, for homes and in workplaces.

The Oslo company Alf Bjercke was the country's largest manufacturer of paint and varnish for houses and interiors and early on to finish the products. The factory also had its own art division. The rich archive, which includes color maps, pictures and promotional materials, was given to The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology after the closure of the factory in 1972. Fifty years later, the museum received the means to catalog the archive, digitize color chart and advertising and publish these for all interested people digital archives. The project was completed in 2024.

On the second "Technological History Thursday" of the year, painting conservator Barbro Wedvik talks about her research into Alf Bjercke's archive. The focus is on the archive as a source for older buildings' colors and painting materials. She will also talk a little about Alf Bjercke's artist painting. Librarian and archivist Anne Solberg will tell Alf Bjercke's life story and give an overview of the contents of the archive after the painting company Alf Bjercke and the work to register and make it available. Conservator Tone Rasch will talk about the advertising character Maler'n and Alf Bjercke's pioneering work in marketing paint as a consumer product.