Vanavara kogumisretkedelt 10. Paul Keerdo

This book presents the field diaries of Paul Keerdo, a young craftsman who collected folk artifacts in the parishes of Martna, Anna, and Madise between 1913 and 1914. In addition to images of the objects themselves, the book is illustrated with drawings by Joosep Kliimand, who accompanied Keerdo on his first collecting expedition.

The individuals who collected folk artifacts for the Estonian National Museum during its early years led very different lives, and their subsequent paths diverged significantly: some became creative figures—writers, artists, and the like—while others became politicians. The same era and circumstances—and the way these were understood—served as the backdrop for political convictions that later developed in diametrically opposite directions. Paul Keerdo, who came from a large family, became a communist at a young age, and his political career was spent working within the Soviet power apparatus.