Shop Maid Anna’s Room

Anna is an 18-year-old sea captain’s daughter. She is from an educated home and she has been taught to count and read at home. This is thanks to her father’s pride – he is pleased to tell people that at his house both boys and girls have these important basic skills, which are necessary in work life.

Anna lives in the Lower Mansion in the Shop Maiden’s Room, with a window towards the Big Market Square, right next to the shop which is in the corner. There is a benefit to being close to her workplace, also as she can keep an eye on the shop for burglars and all kinds of people, who come knocking on the shop door. It is also most important that she is there to open the door to farmers coming from afar if they come very early in the morning or late at night and show them a place to sleep in. There was no use in waking the master up or keep him up late with such matters.

They are living in the year 1860. The Lang House is run by Fredrik Sovelius Junior. He married Zachris Franzén’s daughter Johanna Margareta, known as Jenny, and after the old merchant died, Fredrik got the whole trade house to run in 1852.

Anna has decorated her room in a simple manner, but beautifully. On the wall, she has a painting of her childhood home in Kalajoki, and at her writing desk, she writes to her mother a letter every week and sends part of her salary to her family back home.