The Shop-Girl

At first Greta was running errands and unpacked hats in the millinery department but a fter a while Greta was transferred to woman's clothing department. She was the youngest of the ten sales girls. Magda Hellberg was the head of PUB's woman's clothing department. Greta was a shop girl now. Her starting salary was 125 kronor per month.
 

How did Greta get the job?

Garbo's sister Alva had two friends who were clerks at the Pub. With an entree from her Alva's friends, Greta was engaged there as a trainee on 26 July 1920, and hired soon after as a clerk in the fourth-floor millinery department at 125 kronor ($25) a month. Greta stated herself as 15 and spelled her name as “Gustavsson”. Soon after, Greta was given a job.

Alva, early 1920s
 

What did Greta say about her work?

Greta wrote her friend Eva Blomgren: “I have got a job at Paul Bergstrom's.... Can you imagine it, me a shopgirl! But don't worry, I haven't given up thought of the stage because of this. Not a bit; I'm just as keen as ever.”

Greta about selling hats: “I was really interested in selling hats. It seemed like play. I never seemed to have to think how to treat the individual whims of each customer.... How I admired and envied the actresses among my customers!”
 

Greta transformed

Miss “Gustavsson” was known as very ambitious, quiet and self-restraint. Greta slowly transformed into a mature person. She started to dress herself more lady-like. Her manner and speech changed too and she even lost some weight. Greta's family and friends treated her like an adult now. The 14 year old helped the family with her salary.

Greta before the PUB