On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of Selma Jónsdóttir (August 22, 1917 – July 5, 1987), the Icelandic Women's History Museum has installed a micro-exhibition in the museum, which opened on Selma's birthday, August 22.
Selma was the first Icelander to complete a degree in art history and the first woman to receive a doctoral degree from the University of Iceland.
Selma's area of expertise was medieval art, and she did a lot of pioneering work in that field. Selma defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Iceland on January 16, 1960. In her thesis, she demonstrated that the carved figures from Flatatunga had originally been part of a Byzantine-style doomsday scene from the Middle Ages. The thesis was published by Almenna Bókafélagið, in both Icelandic and English.
Selma's archive is preserved at the Borgarfjörður District Archives and includes, among other things, her work documents as well as a collection of letters, and the Borgarfjörður Museum has kindly loaned documents for the exhibition at the National Library.
The following parties are collaborating to commemorate Dr. Selma during her anniversary year: Icelandic Women's History Museum, National Library of Iceland–University Library, Art Museum of Iceland, Icelandic Society of Art Studies, Borgarfjörður Museum and the National Museum of Iceland.
Information about all partner events in connection with the centennial commemoration of Selma can be found on the Women's History Museum's website: www.kvennasogusafn.is .
The exhibition runs until February 26, 2018.