Santeri Levas

Benno Alexander "Santeri" Levas (until 1936 Lehmann; 8 February 1899 – 10 March 1987) was a Finnish writer and photographer, best known for his books on the composer Jean Sibelius.

Santeri Levas was born in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, in 1899, to the family of Nicolai Lehmann and Hertta née Piispanen.

His main career was in the service of Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (1923–1962) as a correspondence clerk and a departmental manager, but he started to publish both fact and fiction, first under pseudonyms, in the mid-1920s.

He also published a biography of German composers Clara and Robert Schumann and several travel books, observing and documenting life in the post-war Germany and Austria, among others.

He was also an honorary member of Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique and an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS).

Santeri Levas (to the left) with Aino and Jean Sibelius in the 1940s, examining the daily mail in Ainola . Photograph by Levas.