Jean Sibelius and his wife in front of their home in 1925

On December 9, 1925, Finland´s great composer Jean Sibelius celebrated his 60th birthday. The same week the Finnish weekly Suomen Kuvalehti published this photograph of the Maestro and Mrs Sibelius posing in front of their home, Ainola.

The winter 1925-26 was very cold and snowy. In early December there was already a thick layer of snow at Ainola. If you look closely, you can see that Sibelius enjoys a cigar while posing for the photographer ...

Jean and Aino Sibelius in front of their home Ainola in 1925.

(Processing and colouring by the black and white original photograph by me)