been taken of the Children’s Day celebrations which were never published. Those
are the ones I want to look at.”
Vanger used the telephone in the kitchen. He called Martin, explained what he
wanted, and asked who the pictures editor was these days. Within ten minutes the
right people had been located and access had been arranged.
The pictures editor of the Hedestad Courier was Madeleine Blomberg, called Maja.
She was the first woman pictures editor Blomkvist had met in journalism, where
photography was still primarily a male art form.
Since it was Saturday, the newsroom was empty, but Maja Blomberg turned out to
live only five minutes away, and she met Blomkvist at the office entrance. She had
worked at the Hedestad Courier for most of her life. She started as a proof-reader in
1964, changed to photo-finisher and spent a number of years in the darkroom,
while occasionally being sent out as a photographer when the usual resources
were insufficient. She had gained the position of editor, earned a full-time post on
the picture desk, and ten years ago, when the old pictures editor retired, she took
over as head of the department.
Blomkvist asked how the picture archive was arranged.
“To tell you the truth, the archive is rather a mess. Since we got computers and
digital photographs, the current archive is on CDs. We’ve had an intern here who
spent some time scanning in important older pictures, but only a small percentage
of what’s in the stacks have been catalogued. Older pictures are arranged by date
in negative folders. They’re either here in the newsroom or in the attic storeroom.”
“I’m interested in photographs taken of the Children’s Day parade in 1966, but also
in any photographs that were taken that week.”
Fröken Blomberg gave him a quizzical look.
“You mean the week that Harriet Vanger disappeared?”
“You know the story?”