Here stands Djurgårds-Kalle and his Emma a bronze testament to a bygone era. This statue isn’t just a pretty picture. It tells a story of Stockholm street life a story of music love and perseverance.
Djurgårds-Kalle whose real name was Axel Valfrid Lindvall and Emma whose real name was Emelia Gustava Sjöström were legendary positivhalare. Positivhalare you ask? They were street musicians playing a hand-cranked organ called a positiv. For thirty years they stood near Skansen’s entrance serenading visitors with songs like “The Italian Girl” and “The Lion Bride”.
Imagine the scene Kalle his right hand diligently cranking the positiv his left hand stroking his false mustache. He’d even throw kisses to passing ladies. Emma meanwhile his partner both on the street and in what was then called a Stockholm marriage a common-law union supported his act. They weren’t just partners in music. They were partners in life.
Kalle’s positiv and even his false mustache are now at the Stockholm City Museum. That’s right his famous mustache is a museum piece. Isn’t that something? It shows you how much Djurgårds-Kalle and Emma were appreciated. They were so beloved that after their deaths in 1934 and 1939 respectively the city’s poor relief board donated their musical instruments hats and even Emma’s velvet-covered hat to the museum.
This statue sculpted by David Wretling and unveiled in 1985 is more than just a monument. It’s a tribute to a unique piece of Stockholm’s history. It represents the spirit of these two musicians their dedication their love and their enduring legacy. The initials K de M carved into the statue’s base are those of Kar de Mumma the revue writer who championed the creation of this very sculpture. So next time you see it remember the music the love and the enduring spirit of Djurgårds-Kalle and his Emma.