The Surprising History Behind Minnesota’s Official State Photo
Discover the heartwarming story behind Minnesota’s official state photograph, “Grace” – a symbol of faith and gratitude! 📷 #MinnesotaGrace #StatePhotograph #HeartwarmingStories
Bovey, Minnesota – Sometime in 1920, a Swedish American photographer named Eric Enstrom in the mining town of Bovey, Minnesota, captured a moment that would become a cherished piece of history.
He took a photo of a visitor with a kind face, Charles Wilden, who was an itinerant salesman. Enstrom asked Wilden to pose as if he were praying, with his hands clasped and head bowed, at a table with simple items like a book, bread, and soup. He named this powerful image “Grace.”
Enstrom wanted “Grace” to be a symbol of enduring tough times. He linked it to the struggles of World War I and how Minnesotans coped with rationing. He hoped the photo would remind people to be thankful despite their hardships. The image, showing Wilden’s pious pose and modest setting, was meant to reflect the faith, gratitude, and humility of the European immigrants in Minnesota.
As time went on, “Grace” became popular. Tourists bought it, and it adorned local churches, restaurants, and homes. In 1926, Wilden gave up his rights to the image for just five dollars, and Enstrom copyrighted it. Enstrom and his daughter, Rhoda Nyberg, even added color to the black-and-white photo to make it look like a painting. Nyberg kept painting versions of “Grace” throughout her life.
In the 1950s, the Enstrom family sold the rights to the photo to Augsburg Publishing House, linked to the American Lutheran Church. The photo’s popularity soared in Minnesota and across the nation. By 1961, Augsburg Publishing had sold twenty thousand prints.
Fast forward to 2002, and “Grace” was declared Minnesota’s official state photograph, thanks to a bill sponsored by Senator Bob Lessard and Representative Loren Solberg. Governor Jesse Ventura signed it into law, and Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer hung a sepia print in her office as the bill required.
Today, Augsburg Fortress (formerly Augsburg Publishing) still sells prints of “Grace.” The image is now in the public domain and widely available online. It even graces the cabin of the Northwestern, the crab fishing boat featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” In 1993, Bovey Village Hall honored “Grace” and Enstrom with a monument.
🗣 What do you think of this photo? We’d love to your thoughts in the comments section below. ⬇️
