Figur 11 (Hvidovre gør gode tider bedre)

Museum-quality Luster paper Giclée printing quality, 12 colors Paper weight: 250 g/m2 FSC Label

Figure 11: Hvidborg 

In the early 1900s, Hvidborg stood as a prominent country house in what would later become Bredalsparken. From 1903, Lorry Feilberg’s hospitable hosting opened the door to new visual expressions. Travelling guests brought with them American signs and symbols—from the simple "Kilroy was here" to sophisticated maritime codes that flourished on waterfronts around the world. These symbols quickly found new interpretations among the local youth. 

After Feilberg’s death in 1917, Hvidborg’s walls transformed into a living visual laboratory. The coded symbolic language of travelling American hobos—known as "hobo signs"—merged with Danish craftsmen’s signatures and workers’ union emblems. From this fusion, new expressions emerged: a crown over a hammer signified "king of the crew," while mysterious abstract figures inspired new narratives.

 In this creative melting pot, local youth gradually developed their own visual language on Hvidborg’s walls. American dollar signs morphed into distinctive 'S’s with three lines, symbolising "swing-style," while seafaring compass roses became enigmatic stars with hidden meanings. Simple tags, inspired by sailors’ tattoos, evolved into intricate signatures, as letters and symbols flowed together in an early local form of semi-abstract graffiti wildstyle.