Bergman ‘notes’ go on the block in Stockholm

“Broken. Fix IMMEDIATELY or buy a new one!” read one of the notes, with a small devil sketched on it.

“This cheese was more boring. We’ll go back” to the old one, another read, while some messages expressed gratitude.

“Dear Anita! Thank you for scaring away the ghosts and thanks for all the care you provide. Your friend Ingmar.”

The 32 notes Bergman scribbled by hand to Anita Haglöf during the time she worked as his housekeeper, from 1995 to 2003, both in Stockholm and at his house on the Baltic Sea island of Fårö, had been expected to make up to 30,000 kronor when they went on the block at Stockholms Auktionsverk Wednesday.

It was hardly surprising that they brought in more though. When 339 objects from Bergman’s home were auctioned off in September 2009, many fetched more than 10 times their estimate.

Bergman, who died on July 30, 2007, at the age of 89 after directing more than 40 films, had written most of the messages to Haglöf in pencil on small-formatted ruled paper, but some were also written on envelopes.

Five of them were signed “Ingmar” and one was signed “old Bergman.”