Djúpavík - Vestfirðir (Iceland)
Photoshooting of the old herring factory
The old herring factory in Djúpavík was opened in the year 1935 and it was the biggest herring factory in the country. It was also the biggest concrete structure to have ever been built in Iceland to that time. Inside the factory was the most perfect technology which had never been seen in the country before. The Staff counted as many as 60 persons inside the factory, but around 200 persons were salting the fish when it arrived. Other jobs, which included office work and many others are there uncounted. The staff that came to Djúpavík thought it was a strange place. In Djúpavík there was no church, police, mayor or even a coffee house.
The factory is said to have paid up in record time and almost no one did regret to have built the factory. In the year 1951 the herring was almost gone from Húnaflói bay and there started the downfall of the Djúpavík adventure. In the year 1954 all machines in Djúpavík went silent and people started to move away from the village. The village which was built up around the factory became uninhabited until the year 1985. The year 1985 becomes a milestone in the history of Djúpavík because the new inhabitants started to renovate the old factory. along side with the factory renovation, the house where the women lived during the herring time was made it into a hotel. Now you have a chance on getting a guided tour through the factory as well as to check out the history of Djúpavík exhibition.
(text taken from: www.westfjords.is)
All pictures are available for printing upon request, in case of being interested please do not hesitate to contact us
