Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-12-01
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In the l9tn century the pace of
immigration quickened. In all,
more than a million SWedes came
out of the North to become Amer
leans. BY today there are well ov-
er two million Americans whose
earlier ties to Europe are in Swe-
den.
Who were these pioneers? What
customs and characteristics were
exclusively theirs? What about
their education, naturalization,
Americanization? How can we is
olate and measure their innumer-
able contributions to our country
whether heroic or humble
These were some of the questions
that began to come with recurring
frequency to the minds of Ameri-
cans of Swedish ancestry more
than twenty years ago. With these
thoughts in mind a small group of
Swedish Americans met in Chica-
go under the aegis of DR.. Amandus
johnson and began at once to
raise funds to create a permanent
monument to this laudable part
of the American tradition.
In June, 1926 the corner stone
of the American Swedish Histori-
cal Museum was laid by His Roy
al Highness Crown Prince Gustaf
Adolf. The present building. SUBJ
stantially completed. was formal
ly dedicated by him in June, 1888,
during the tercentenary celebra-
ton of the arrival of the Swedes
in the Delaware Valley and the es-
tablishing of the first permanent
settlements in modern Delaware
and Pennsylvania. 1t is owned by
the American Swedish Historical
Foundation, corporation with
members from nearly every state
in the Union and from several
foreign countries as well.
Standing on the terrace of the
American Swedish Historical Mu-
scum, in League Island Park, Phil
adelphia, one sees Handicapped acres
in every direction. Permanently
built of concrete and stone trim,
the main building is thanked by
semi-circular cloisters which will
permit convenient access to future
buildings. After entering through
massive bronze doors. the visitor
steps into the central memorial
hall rising two stories to vault
ed ceiling covered by a mural
which depicts the landing of first
Swedish expedition to America in
1888.
The Museum contains two Ii
braries and fifteen exhibition gal
leries.
A partial list of current exhibit
tons. which usually remain about
two to three months each. include
the following shows staged during
the past four years: Oil paintings
by B. J. o. Nordfelt. John F. Carl
son, Nils Won Dardel; water colors
by Carl Sprinchorn and Carl Folke
Sahlin; Sweden's Defense in Pic
lures, and Sweden. a Workshop of
Democracy photographs; fash
ion designs by Ere; book illus
trations by Gustaf Tenggren and
fine book bindings by Edith We
Under; modern Swedish cartoons.
The opening exhibition of the
1947-4S season will be unusually
impressive from MANY points of
view. Called How They Came
Here" it will be a summary ac-
count of the Scandinavian immi-
grafton from the Viking age down
TO our own times. ending with the
Scandinavian Airlines system. The
exhibition has been made possible
through the generosity of the Swe-
dish American Line and will be
the first of a series of contribu-
tons to be made this coming sea-
son bv the Amer can Swedish His
torical Foundation to the Pioneer
Centennial"
Having passed THROUGH the two
halls set apart for rotating exhibit
tons. the visitor comes to the
Golden Man Room. the entire walls
of which are covered by pictorial
map of the Swedish dominions, IL