Photographer, pioneer, humanist.

Haparanda’s first photographer, Mia Green, was born in 1870 and grew up with her grandparents in the Skellefteå area. Mia was artistic and planned to be a seamstress. But after moving to Stockholm, she studied photography instead, which in the late 1800s was an up-and-coming trade open to both men and women. After her education, she returned up north, working as a photography assistant for Fredrika Bergström in Piteå, one of many women photographers that were active in Norrbotten county.

Mia Green moved to Haparanda in 1895, since the town did not have an established photographer. She opened a studio and photo store in the same house where she lived. She married and had four children. Mia kept working hard and combined work with family duties. She hired students and photography assistants, all women, and several of them later opened their own studios. Mia was also the first one in Haparanda to buy a bicycle in 1900, which she used as transportation to photo locations. She photographed everything from portraits to interiors and exteriors. During the first world war, tons of mail, goods, and people passed the border in Haparanda and Karungi, putting the area on the map.

During the war, Mia captured many dramatic events and everyday life on film. Mia was not content with just documenting the war for the local and national press, she also helped injured people in need. She had a huge social engagement and was politically active as a member of the Association for women’s right to vote and as a representative on the town board. She also funded Haparanda’s first elderly home for poor seniors, which was inaugurated in 1923.

It is said that she visited many of the war profiteers that made a lot of money off the war and basically forced them to donate money to the elderly home. Mia Green was described as impulsive, outgoing, and strong-minded. Haparanda named a park after Mia Green, decorated with a bronze bust of her with the inscription “Photographer, pioneer, humanist”.