The Picture "Grace" - The Minnesota State Photograph

The Picture "Grace"

The Minnesota State Photograph designated March 22, 2002. Taken by Eric Enstrom in 1918. 21½" x 20" framed with plaque.

Now recognized all over the world, this legendary photograph was taken in 1918 at the studio of Eric Enstrom in Bovey, Minnesota. Bovey was at that time a small mining town in the Minnesota north woods, frequented by peddlers and others who were traveling through.

At that time in 1918, photographer Eric Enstrom was working on a portfolio to take to the Minnesota Photographer’s Association convention when a kindly old peddler selling foot-scrapers stopped by his studio. The photographer couldn’t help but notice something unique in the elderly man’s appearance. Enstrom recalls…

"There was something about the old gentleman's face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face... there weren't any harsh lines in it”

With World War I causing much concern for Americans, Enstrom wanted to remind people to give thanks for what they had:

"I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for.”

To create the scene, the photographer set the table with a bowl of gruel, a loaf of bread, a knife, a large book, and some reading glasses, and had his elderly visitor pose as though he were uttering a prayer of thanks to God for his humble meal.

Today, reprints of this famous picture have been made and sold to households, churches, restaurants, and other places of business across the United States and even around the world. “Grace” has recently been designated the official state photo of the state of Minnesota.

We hope you enjoy your print of “Grace” which had its beginnings just a few miles away from our Grand Rapids, Minnesota, store.

*For more information, please see www.gracebyenstrom.com

Price: $250.00