Sigurjón Samúelsson from Hrafnabjörg near Ísafjarðardjúp began collecting records around 1950, first Icelandic song records and accordion records, some of which were from shortly after the turn of the century, and of course 78 rpm records.
He bought the records at antique shops in Reykjavík, for example on Grettisgata and in the basement of Fálkan when it was still possible, and elsewhere. Antique shops were a considerable asset to Sigurjón over the years, and encounters with other collectors also led to record exchanges.
When Sigurjón was once asked where his hobby came from, he replied that there had been a gramophone on the farm during his youth, although radio did not arrive in the village until 1944. There were several records, including those by singers Sigurður Skagfield and Hreinn Pálsson and accordion virtuosos Gellin and Borgström, who were great favorites of the collector. Sigurjón's records numbered over 7,000, most of them intact and in good condition. Sigurjón collected songs from his 78 rpm records onto CDs and released them in limited editions. In addition to the records, Sigurjón had a selection of audio equipment, ranging from old gramophones to modern devices.
Sigurjón's wish was that the records would be preserved in a museum where the public could use them. Sigurjón's record collection will henceforth be preserved in the National Library of Iceland – University Library. On that occasion, an exhibition was opened in the National Library on February 6th, where Sigurjón's son, Samúel Sigurjónsson, formally handed over his father's collection to the National Library of Iceland – University Library.
The exhibition runs until September 1st.
Interview with Sigurjón Samúelsson from 2011
