Steingrímur Hermannsson, prime minister with drag queens on election night, 20 April 1991

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

His photographs, published in daily newspapers Tíminn, Vísir, DV (Dagblaðið Vísir) and Fréttablaðið and on the visir.is news website, provide invaluable documentation of life in Iceland. At the exhibition, the visitor progresses through time: the photos have the ambiance of their era, clearly  manifesting the changes that have taken place over the years – whether in the environment, or in diverse fields of society. 

 We see Gunnar as a companion to the people whose photographs he took – people from different walks of life, in the society of the time. The events may be joyful or sad. The role of companion is especially clear when we examine Gunnar’s photos of those who were prominent in public life for many years – such as his images of former presidents of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, that span a period of nearly four decades, and thus have historic significance. The long-standing acquaintanceship between the photographer and his subjects also imbues his images with more subtlety and depth.  

President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and Queen Elizabeth

The work of a press photographer is demanding, both mentally and physically, but like all good press photographers Gunnar was always on the spot when something newsworthy was happening, no matter what time of day or night. The digital revolution in photography that took place during Gunnar’s career led to huge changes in his working practice, as he no longer had to develop photos in a darkroom. The stress of his busy life as a photographer had had an impact upon him, so the new working methods were a welcome change. He never looked back, he says, as for him press photography  was “simply journalism using another tool than a pen.”  Thus for Gunnar the narrative content of the photo was more important than its aesthetic quality. 

For Gunnar, press photography was “simply journalism using another tool than a pen"

When Gunnar started out, Icelanders were still driving on the left, and he captured images of the changeover to driving on the right, in 1969. After that, one event followed another: a concert by the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin in Laugardalshöll in 1970; and a year later priceless Icelandic medieval manuscripts were returned after centuries in Denmark, ceremonially brought into Reykjavík Harbour aboard a Danish naval vessel. 

When a volcanic eruption suddenly began in the Westman Islands in 1973, Gunnar was swiftly on the scene; and he experienced more natural disasters – when avalanches struck the villages of Flateyri and Súðavík in the West Fjords in 1995, and many lives were lost: a traumatic experience for the entire nation. And Gunnar did not miss out on historic moments, such as the election in 1980 of President Vigdís, the first democratically-elected female head of state in the world, and the summit meeting between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986. Gunnar documented it all. 

On the journey “through time” at the exhibition, we also see images of the zeitgeist, which mirror their times. Wonderful scenes from the Icelandic music/social scene of recent decades, and images of campaigns for employees’ rights and gender equality. During the later years of his career, Gunnar captured images which have a powerful symbolism, documenting the construction of the controversial dam and hydro plant at Kárahnjúkar in the interior; and the tense atmosphere surrounding the financial crash of 2008. Some of Gunnar’s images of events and individuals attain new significance and context in view of subsequent events: for instance photos of public figures from the law and business worlds. 

Viewed as a whole, Gunnar’s photographs clearly show how “old Iceland” has developed into an ever more internationalised society. It is a long path from the Reykjavík farmer boarding the bus with his milk churns in 1979, to the images of the impact of the 2008 economic crash. Two opposites that reflect the difference between simplicity and frugality, and the endless choices on offer in modern times, with all their advantages and disadvantages. These are challenges that still face society today, and must be addressed by new generations of press photographers. 


Curator: Jóhanna Guðrún Árnadóttir

Gunnar V. Andrésson, born in Reykjavík in 1950, was a press photographer for over fifty years. He started his career in 1966 on daily Tíminn, where he remained until 1978, when he moved on to afternoon paper Vísir. With the merger of Vísir and Dagblaðið in late 1981 he became a photographer for DV (Dagblaðið Vísir). He worked there until 2003, when the publishing company Frjáls fjölmiðlun ceased trading. He then worked as a photographer for daily Fréttablaðið and the visir.is news website until he retired in 2017.


Gunnar’s photo archive from his time at DV, Fréttablaðið and visir.is, together with some images from his years at Tíminn, is in the keeping of the Reykjavík Museum of Photography. 


Gunnar V. Andrésson Press Photographer │Half a Century Through the Lens

The exhibition "Half a Century Through the Lens" explores press photographer Gunnar V. Andrésson’s career, that lasted more than fifty years – from 1966 to 2017.

Gun­nar V. An­drés­son Press Pho­to­grapher │Half a Cen­tury Through the Lens

The exhibition "Half a Century Through the Lens" explores press photographer Gunnar V. Andrésson’s career, that lasted more than fifty years – from 1966 to 2017.

Gunnar V. Andrésson Press Photographer │Half a Century Through the Lens