Olaf A. Lee, the returned photographer

Emigrants from Norway at the end of the 19th century were often families, both young and old. From 1900 younger and unmarried men and women dominated among the emigrants. They were adventurous or they wanted to earn money some years and then return to Norway. About one fourth of the emigrants after 1880 returned to Norway.

One emigrant who returned to Hadeland was Olaf A. Lee. While staying in USA, from 1907 to about 1915, he bought himself a camera. Olaf A. Lee was a good amateur photographer and kept several of the photos from USA. After his death they were donated to Hadeland Folkemuseum.

Olaf A. Lee

Olaf Andersen Lee was born out of wedlock in Brandbu January 1887. His parents were farmer Anders Olsen Dælen and Anne Andersdatter (born 1861). In 1907 he immigrated to stay with one of his mothers’ brother. The pictures show that he lived in North Dakota and worked on farms. He returned to Norway after 7 or 8 years and married Marie Andersdatter in Tingelstad church November 1915. He worked as a postman in Moen in Brandbu. Olaf A. Lee and his wife had no children. Lee died in 1969 at Jaren in Gran.

We choose to show you some of the pictures to give you an insight in the valuable documentation of the emigrants' daily life.

This article was written for "Brua". Membership Publication of Hadeland Lag of America in May 2006
by Kari-Mette Stavehaug