Digital stuff
Helsinkiphotos.fi
The Helsinkiphotos.fi service includes tens of thousands of photographs related to Helsinki. The photographs are from the Helsinki City Museum’s collections. The City Museum’s collection has almost one million photographs of Helsinki and the everyday life of its inhabitants from the 1840s until today. New photographs are added to the collection mainly as donations or are taken by photographers commissioned by the museum. The City Museum’s predecessor, the Helsinki Board of Antiquities, began accumulating the collection in 1906. Signe Brander, known for her Helsinki photography, was commissioned to record the changing city in 1907. Brander’s photographs are the foundation of the City Museum’s photography collections. Currently, Helsinkiphotos.fi houses approximately 50,000 images – and more are being digitized and added.
Finna
The photographs of Helsinki City Museum collection are still available in the national Finna service at hkm.finna.fi. In addition to photographs, you can browse the museum’s object collections, from plastic bags to hairdryers and works of art. In Finna you can also find information about the buildings of Helsinki.
Finna information search service
Ask the Museum
We will answer your questions about Helsinki’s history and the museum’s operations. Send your question with or without a photo. You might already find the answer in the Ask the Museum service, so please also see the previously asked questions.
Picture Paths
The Picture Paths online exhibition is a part of a photo exhibition opened during spring 2011 on the streets of Helsinki. The old pictures form six paths that can be followed in the districts of Katajanokka, Töölö, Kallio, Pasila, Malmi and Herttoniemi.
Art Nouveau in Helsinki
Art Nouveau, or Jugend style, flourished in Helsinki at the turn of the 19th century. With the help of this guide, it is easy to pick out tasty treats from among Helsinki’s Art Nouveau treasures. The guide is available in eight languages, and it also includes Art Nouveau walking and tram tours.
Art nouveau online games for children
Helsinki is one of the nicest Art nouveau cities, and Helsinki City Museum is part of the international Réseau Art Nouveau -network. The network´s web page offers activities for children to discover Art nouveau through 3 interactive games allowing them to identify and memorize Art Nouveau patterns and characteristics.