Mottat 17/11 24.

Kjære Kramer!

Tùsend tak for brevene og pengene! – jo dù har været

flink som kommisar; – og prof. Schreiner Kra. var vel-

tilfreds, – som dù spörger om, – han bestilte endog paa en

maade noget, – men enten det skulde være maleri eller

træsnit, eller hvad motiv eller tid – det var ikke greit – 

angivet. Fra Loennicken har jeg ogsaa hört, – han er 

ogsaa tilfreds, – og hvis han synes, han har faaet rigelig

valùta for sit arbeide, kan han kanske laane mig det 

billede, han tidligere har kjöbt af mig, – da jeg gjerne skùl-

de forsöke et træsnit efter-det, – men det kan jo være til 

ved leilighed, (jeg antager at der bare er en Loennicken læge?)

Saa maa dù have mange tak for lampeglas og "kùbein", 

– nù blir jeg nok skyldig dig mere, end de 500 i hùset kan 

dække, – jeg har jo faaet 300 i kontanter, og saa har dù lagt ùd

til sykhùset, og nù mange andre ting – (Zinken har

jeg ingen regning faaet paa; – men den er jo fra din 

leverandör). Ja nù er dit hùs "tækket" over det hele; 

men der mangler meget paa indredningen, – det er bare alt

"tömmeret", som er kommet op – ingen panelinger eller, gùlver, lem

eller bordklædninger – heller ikke skorstein og peis endnù, – 

men vi kan da nù se, hvordan det tager sig ùd; – det 

sees lige godt herfra som fra Sandal, – og lærer Eikaas

siger, at det er det peneste og penest beliggende hùs i Sandal. 

2

Knùt Pedersen har plantet en birk paa toppen af taket – efter

Aagots önske, – jeg troede nù ikke, hùn vilde have den paa

toppen af taket og heller ikke en slik enslig strant: skisse

den dör vel formodentlig ogsaa ùd, – jeg plantede nogle

smaa einer paa et par steder og et lidet birkeriskjærr nederst

paa taket – lige ovenfor der, hvor spiskammer-bislag-taket

skal begynde at stikke ùd fra taket, – (dette bislag er forresten 

endnù intet gjort med, – ùndtagen grùndmùren). Det var

paa nippet, at Knùt Pedersen ikke havde faaet tækket taket

för frosten satte ind her nù, – det kom af, at Anders Aasen – 

svigersönnen (som dù egentlig har kontrakten med) – blev syk den 

dag, de begyndte tækningen, – han havde en vorte eller lignende 

paa haandleddet, og da han skulde begynde tækningen sammen 

med sin svigerfar K.P., havde han "gnùret" denne vorte af ùnder

behandlingen af torven, og det blev blods forgiftning, saa han 

i en hast maatte reise til doktoren, som maatte skjære op ind

til benet og opover armen, – saa nù gaar han arbeidsùdygtig. – 

Jeg lod Zakris gaa ùd og tække med K.P. i hans sted. 

Angaaende næveren – fik vi den for Kr. 5 pr. vaag (18 kg.), – jeg vilde

betalt den med en gang, men han som solgte mente at det hasted

ikke, – han kùnde faa det hos Kramer selv, – jeg likte det ikke, – 

jeg tænkte paa optrækkeri; – men Zakris og jeg er nù vidner paa, 

at Anders Aasen sa, at sælgeren havde sagt, at vi skùlde faa

næveren for 5 kr. pr. vaag, – saa det er ikke til at komme ùdenom for

ham. Angaaende de herrers pligt til at skaffe næveren, saa

var det saa, at de nok kùnde faaet taket tæt for nogle aar med

den næver som var, – men vi troede dù vilde havde det solid og da

heller lægge lidt til. At Anders Aasen ikke er stort bedre end

sin svigerfar, fik vi greie paa nù en dag, – han havde solgt os nogen 

3

favnveed, og da vi skùlde betale den, forlangte han 5 kr. mere

pr.maal, end vi var blevne enige om, – han var nemlig i mel-

lemtiden bùden mere af andre, – og da vi trængte den, maatte 

jeg betale, hvad han forlangte, – og saa tænkte han at lure os

paa en anden maade ogsaa: han bad os om at faa laane mit

favne-maal til at maale veeden i, – han troede vel da, at vi 

ikke maalte veeden op igjen, naar den allerede var maalt i vort

maal, – men det gjorde vi, og der var alt for lidet; men han 

skal maatte ùd med det resterende. ––– –––

Ja saa maa jeg fortælle en kjedelig ùbehagelighed: – K.P.

og svigersönnen havde faaet ùd næsten alle materialerne

til hùset dit, – og en nat blev der stjaalet over 9 kvadrat-

meter af de bedste tomspanelingerne; – som dù veed

var der doble tak invendig i hùset slig: skisse. Tekst: vestre rum, gjennemsnit De to

prikkede linjer antyder doble tak, – der var 

papinger mellem disse doble tak, – det var

lavet slik af hensyn til varmen i rùmmene om vinteren, 

(hvis loftet ikke blev indredet ^{(eller stod koldt)} til varmerùm). I det <vestre>

rùm var der mye materialer, som var kantskaarne ^{(bord baade over og ùnder)} og vel en toms 

tykke, medens der i gamlestùen var benyttet det gamle <simple> "tro", 

som fra först af laa ùnder næveren ^{ovenpaa spærrene var der ogsaa nye bord} (jeg syntes det passede bedst

til "gamlestuen") alle de nye bord over "spærrene" i det vestre rùm 

og delvis under ^"blind-spærrerne" var stjaalne. Her er for tiden et snedker-

kùrsùs her i Sandalen, og ùnder slige omstendigheder pleier her

næsten altid at blive stjaalet materialer, – men disse materi-

aler, – der rigtignok var saa gode som nye, – vilde dog vise nogen 

forskjel paa den side, som havde ligget ùd og den, som har 

ligget ind (til pappingerne), – saa jeg synes det maa være vanske-

4

skeligt for nogen af snedkerskole-eleverne at benytte disse bord, 

ùden at blive opdaget paa snedkerskolen. – – Engels bror Johan, 

som ogsaa gaar paa snedkerskolen har jeg faaet til at holde

et öie med de materialer, som snedkereleverne brùker. Johan 

fik en hel del nye materialer med bilen, – og da det var mörkt

om kvelden, var det vanskeligt at putte dem ind i nöstet, hvor-

for han bar dem op i "nyehùset", og da han havde 3 bord liggende

igjen ved veien og skulde ned og hente disse, var det ene af 

dem stjaalet, medens han var oppe paa gaarden; – jeg har ogsaa

mistet en hel del materialer nede paa "nöste lemmen", – og

vi er nù begyndt at faa mistanke i en bestemt retning, – dù

veed han, som bygger den store löen indenfor, – ja det er jo farligt 

at nævne navn, – han har stadig været i materialmangel, og 

samme kveld, som Johan mistede det nævnte bord (og kanske

flere, som han ikke var opmærksom paa – der manglede flere), – 

ja omtrent samtidig kom vedkommende ^gamle mand kjörende

med materialer nedenfra, og han har da gjerne paa veien 

gaaet indom paa Neset og taget dine bord (til takk for den 

billige stempelen) – og saa Johan sine efterpaa. Det ser ùd til 

at han nù har arvet sin kones svagheder. – Ja, Anders Aasen

og K.P. kom til mig og spùrgte, hvad de skùlde gjöre: – "skal 

vi maatte erstatte disse materialer ogsaa!" – der blev nemlig

ùnder nedrivningen knùst nogen bindinger: – hovedbindingerne, 

som forbandt de östre og de vestre rùm, – disse var nemlig 

boltede med saa svære bolter, at jeg paa forhaand var sikker 

paa, at de ikke kom skadeslöst ud af sine leier – K.P. 

paastod ogsaa, at de ikke vilde holdt der ùde, hvor <stormen> 

tager adskilligt mere paa, end paa der inde paa Myklebùst. – 

5

Karerne havde da skaffet lange jernbindinger, som selvfölgelig 

er meget sterkere, – og de syntes nok, at de dermed havde

skaffet eller fornyet mere, end hvad der var deres pligt. – – – 

De spùrgte da, om det ikke var tilstrækkelig, naar De skaffede

det, som behövedes til enkelt sperrelag ^{(ùden blindspærrer)} og enkel bordklædning 

paa taket (væ skraavæggene i loftet "skibet"); – til sommer-

bolig blev jo det like varmt og gamlestùen faar da

fremdeles dobbelt tak, om man vil ha et extra-

varmt rùm; – for den som ikke kjendte til de doble

tak vilde ikke opdage nogen forskjel – fra för af – 

"og" mente Anders: – "Kramer vil ikke engang opdage det".

Nei det var jeg ogsaa sikker pa, at dù ikke vilde gjort (om

jeg ikke nù hadde nævnt det); thi Fond, som saa ofte har

været baade i rùmmene nedenùnder og paa loftet vidste ikke

för nù ùnder nedrivningen, at der var dobbelt tak. Karene

spurgte, om de ikke kùnde gjöre det paa denne maade

med enkelt tak over <de> ytre rùm, – uden at dù engang be-

hövede at vide noget om det, – da jo alt vilde se ùd som för. 

Jeg sa at jeg vidste ikke, hvad jeg skùlde svare paa det – men 

de kùnde jo gjöre det paa den maaden. – saa kùnde der jo 

senere lægges bord eller paneling og ^{"<extra> sperrer (blindsperrer)} ovenpaa, om man fandt

det fornödent. – Jeg syntes dog nù efterpaa, at jeg maatte sige

dette til dig, – det blev saa vidtlöftig at telegrafere om 

dette ja endog vanskelig at beskrive eller forklare dette pr. brev, 

at jeg altsaa gik med paa dette paa et vis, hvad jeg kanske 

ikke bùrde gjort; – ens moral er ikke altid saa god, som den 

burde være, – jeg var ogsaa træt af stræv med gjenstridigt

6

papir til Kreybergs "rævebjælder", – (som jeg holder paa med)

samt Neumanns billede, som jeg har givet en overhaling,

efter at det var udskrabet for en del, – (det er nù endelig

"færdigt" og venter bare paa törk); – det holdt næsten paa

at blive et godt billede med den baade "gyldne" og dùnkle

natlysmystik, men af hensyn til Neùmann har jeg redùceret

det gode indfald. Jeg sender det til dig en af dagene, – saa

faar jeg til dig ^at "prate" lidt med Neùmann om billedets gode

egenskaber; thi det kan dù bedre end jeg, – men rentene maa

han være rimelig med, da det er "af hensyn til billedets

gode egenskaber", at det har dryget saa længe. – Dù 

nævner en ny "soleiemark", som dù tror at kùnne faa kjöber til –

jeg skal gaa igang med det, – gaar det ikke til den, dù har i sigte, 

kan det jo gaa til Didr. Andersen. ––– Ja dù taler om "raù-

ræven" – er det K.P. eller Anders Aasen (svigersönnen) dù me-

ner (den sidste har kjöbt sig et stykke jord under Aasen nù. 

Diamant fra Andersen har jeg faaet – bare 15 Kr. – "som för krigen"

Dù skriver at næveren er 10,80 pr. vaag i Bergen, det var da en frygtelig

pris, – vi gav ikke mere end Kr. 3 pr. vaag för krigen. Komfuren din 

er kommen, – staar paa Neset, men der mangler en god del, men

Chaùfeùren troede at have seet 2 kolly til ùnder oplossingen, 

men de var kommen ilag med alt andet paa den stadig overfyld-

te expedition i Förde, – og han skulde söke efter det. Var den sendt

i flere dele? Jeg har ikke ùndersögt den indvendig endnù ^{kanske der er noget}. Dit tilbùd om 

"bytte" i badekar, – siger jeg tusend tak til, men jeg er skamfuld over

at tage imod det, – jeg faar da skaffe dig noget i træsnit i mellemlæg

i allefald. Hvad er det dù ikke har? "Julenat paa Sandalstrand" (i farver eller

i sort og hvidt)? "Lys Jùninat" har jeg ofte tænkt paa til dig, men vilde vente

til jeg fik "japansk papir" (som Kreybergs). Ja lev da vel! hils familien fra

os alle her på Stranden. Bedste hilsen din Astrup

Til

Hr. Gravör Per Kramer

<Materialtyveriet>

Vestre mùralmenning 9

Post box

Bergen

Vertikal tekst: Nov. 1924

Received 17/11 24.

Dear Kramer!

Many thanks for the letters and money! – well you have certainly been

effective as a commissary; – and prof. Schreiner Kra. was quite

satisfied, – since you ask, – he even ordered something in a

way, – but whether it should be a painting or

woodcut, or what motif or season – that was <not> adequately – 

specified. I have also heard from Loennicken, – he is 

also satisfied, – and if he feels, he has received abundant 

currency for his efforts perhaps he might lend me the 

picture, he purchased from me previously, – as I would like

to try to make a woodcut based on it, – it can wait until 

a more convenient time, (I assume there is only one Loennicken doctor?)

And then I must thank you for the glass lamp shades and the “crowbar”, 

– now I probably owe you more, than the 500 in the house can 

cover, – I have got 300 in cash, and then you have paid in advance

to the hospital, and now many other things – (I have not 

received any invoice for the zinc; – but it is from your 

supplier). Well the entire roof of your house is now “thatched”; 

but a lot is missing in the interior, – it is only all the

“timber” that has been erected – none of the panelling or, floors, doors

or siding – nor the chimney or fireplace as yet, – 

but we can now see, how it will appear; – it 

is just as visible from here as from Sandal, – and the schoolteacher Eikaas

claims, it is the most handsome and most beautifully situated house in Sandal. 

2

Knùt Pedersen has planted a birch on top of the roof – as per

Aagot’s wish, – I didn’t think, she wanted to have it on

top of the roof nor such a solitary scraggly twig: sketch

it will presumably wither and die, – I planted some

small juniper bushes a couple of places and a little birch scrub at the bottom 

of the roof – right above, where the pantry porch roof

will begin to stick out from the roof, – (work on the porch by the way

has not begun, – aside from the foundation). It was

in the nick of time, that Knùt Pedersen thatched the roof

before the frost set in here recently, – it was because Anders Aasen – 

the brother-in-law (with whom you actually have the contract) – became ill the 

day they began the work of thatching, – he had a wart or something of the kind 

on his wrist, and when he was about to begin thatching together 

with his father-in-law K.P., he “scrubbed” the wart off while

handling the peat, and it turned into blood poisoning, so that he 

had to go to the doctor in a hurry, who had to cut him into

the bone and up the arm, – so now he is unable to work. – 

I let Zakris go out and thatch [the roof] with K.P. in his place. 

Concerning the birch bark – we got it for kr. 5 per vaag (18 kg.), – I wanted

to pay right away, but the man who sold it said there was no

hurry, – he could get it from Kramer himself, – I didn’t like it, – 

I was thinking of the prospect of him jacking the price; – but Zakris and I are witness 

to the fact that Anders Aasen said, that the seller had offered us 

the birch bark for 5 kr. pr. vaag, – so he cannot get away from

it. Concerning the gentlemen’s task of obtaining the birch bark, the

situation was such, that they might have sealed the roof for a few years with

the existing birch bark, – but thought you would want to have it more durable and thus

decided to lay a bit more. That Anders Aasen is not much better than

his father-in-law, became clear to us a few days ago, – He had sold us some 

3

firewood, and when we were about to pay him, he demanded 5 kr. more

per unit, than we had agreed upon, – he had in the mean-

time been offered more by some other people, – and since we needed it, I 

was obliged to pay, what he demanded, – and then he thought of tricking us

in another manner as well; he asked us if he could borrow my

caliper to measure wood in, – he probably thought, that we 

would not measure the wood again, when it had already been measured in our

caliper, – but we did, and it was much too little; but he 

will have to come out here with the remainder. ––– –––

Well then I must relate to you a unpleasant matter: – K.P. 

and his son-in-law had transported almost all of the materials out

to your house, – and one night over 9 square metres of the best

one-inch panelling was stolen; – as you know

there was a double roof in the interior of the house as shown here: sketch. Text: left room, average The two

dotted lines indicate the double roof, – there was 

insulation papercardboard between these double roofs, – it was

made like this to preserve the heat in the rooms in winter, 

(in case the attic was not designed ^{(or remained cold)} to be heated rooms). In the <west>

room a lot of the materials were cut at an angle ^{(wooden boards both over and under}) and more than an inch 

<thick>, while in the old parlour the old <simple> ‘roof boards ’ were used, 

which originally lay under the birch bark there were also new planks on top of the beams (I thought it

suited ‘the old parlour’ best) all the new boards on top of the ‘beams’ in the west room 

and partly under the ^{‘concealed-}beams’ were stolen. At the moment there is a carpen-

try course being given here in Sandalen, and on such occasions it is 

almost always the case that materials are stolen, – but these mate-

rials, – which although as good as new, – would nevertheless reveal a slight

difference between the side, that had been facing outward, and the one that had

lain inward (facing the cardboard), – so I think it would be diffi-

4

cult for any of the carpentry school pupils to use these boards, 

without being discovered at the carpentry school. – – I have asked Engel’s

brother Johan, who is also attending the carpentry school to keep

an eye out for the materials, which the pupils are using. Johan 

had a lot of new materials brought up with the motorcar, – and since it was dark

in the evening, it was difficult to get them in the boathouse, which 

is why he carried them up to “the new house”, and when he had 3 boards

remaining by the roadside and went down to fetch them, one of 

them had been stolen, while he was up at the farm; – I have also

lost a lot of materials down by ‘the boathouse doorstep’, – and

we have begun to suspect a certain person, – you

know the man, who is building a large barn a stone’s throw from here , – well it’s risky 

to mention names, – he has had a constant shortage of materials, and 

the same evening, when Johan lost the mentioned board (and possibly

more, that he was not aware of, – more are missing), – 

well at about the same time the afore-mentioned ^old man came driving by

with materials from below, and he could well have gone by 

Neset en route and taken your boards (in gratitude for the 

bargain price for the seal) – and then Johan’s afterwards. It seems 

that he has inherited his wife’s failings. – Well, Anders Aasen

and K.P. came to me and asked, what they should do: – “should 

we have to replace these materials as well!” – because a few

beams had been destroyed during the dismantling: – the major beams, 

that connected the east and west rooms, – they were in fact, 

bolted together with such large pegs, that I was convinced in 

advance, that they would not come unscathed from their joints – K.P. 

also claimed, that they would not hold out there, where <storms> 

are a lot stronger, than in Myklebùst. – 

5

The men had therefore obtained long iron beams, which are obviously 

much stronger, – and they felt, that they had thus

obtained or renewed more than what their responsibilities entailed. – – – 

They therefore asked, whether it wasn’t enough, if they obtained

what was necessary for a simple truss roof ^{(without the extention planks)} and simple panelling 

on the ceiling (wa the slanted walls in the attic ‘nave’); – for a summer

house it would be just as warm and gamlestùen would then

still have a double roof, if one wished to have an extra

warm room; – for someone who did not know about the double

roof – from before – would not notice any difference – 

“and” in Anders' opinion: – “Kramer would not even notice it”.

Well I was also certain, that you would not have done so (if

I had not mentioned it to you); because Fond, who had so often

been in both the rooms below and in the attic did not know

until now during the dismantling, that there was a double roof. The men

asked, whether they might do it this way

with a single roof layer above <the> exterior rooms, – without you even hav-

ing to know about it, – as everything would look the same as before. 

I said that I did not know, what I should reply to that – but that 

they could do it that way. – and then one might 

later lay boards or panelling and ^{"<extra> beams (concealed beams)} on top, if one found

it necessary. – I thought now afterwards, that I had to tell

you this, – it was too complicated to send a telegraph about 

the matter[,] well even difficult to describe or explain in a letter, 

in other words I agreed to this in a way, which I probably 

should not have; – one’s morals are not always as good, as they 

should be, – I was also worn out by the uncooperative 

6

paper for Kreyberg’s “foxgloves”, – (which I am working on)

as well as Neumann’s picture, which I have given a refirbishing,

after it was scraped, – (it is finally

“finished” and is just waiting to dry); – it had almost

become a good picture with the ‘golden’ and murky mysticism

of nocturnal light, but for Neùmann’s sake I have lessened

the good impression. I will send it to you one day soon, – and

ask you ^to “chat” a little with Neùmann about the picture’s good

qualities; because you know how to better than me, – but he must

be reasonable about the interest, as it is “for the sake of the picture’s

good qualities”, that it has been delayed so long. – You 

mention a new “marigold field”, which you think you may have a buyer for –

I will begin working on it, – if it does not go to the one, that you have in mind, 

it can go to Didr. Andersen. ––– Well you speak of “the red

fox” – it is K.P. or Anders Aasen (the son-in-law) you 

mean (the latter has bought himself a piece of land below Aasen recently. 

I have got a diamond from Andersen – just 15 kr. – “as before the war”

You write that birch bark costs 10.80 per vaag in Bergen, that was a horrible

price, – we did not pay more than kr. 3 per vaag before the war. Your kitchen stove 

has arrived, – is stored at Neset, but a lot of things are missing,

the Chauffeur thought he had seen 2 other parcels during the loading, 

but they had ended together with everything else on the ever-crowd-

ed expedition in Förde, – and he would search for them. Was it sent

in several parts?? I have not examined its contents yet ^{perhaps there is something there.} Your offer 

of “an exchange” with a bathtub, – I say many thanks to, but I am ashamed

to <accept> it, – I will have to make you some woodcuts to make up the difference

at least. What don’t you have? “Christmas Eve at Sandalstrand” (in colour or

black and white)? “Bright Night in June” I have often thought of for you, but wanted to wait

until I got hold of “Japanese paper” (like Kreyberg’s). Well live well then! Greetings to your family from

all of us here at Stranden. Best wishes your Astrup

To

Mr. Engraver Per Kramer

<Theft of materials>

Vestre mùralmenning 9

Post box

Bergen

Vertical text: Nov. 1924