Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-12-01
THE AMERICAN SWEDISH
HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

early goth century immigration by
ship models, immigrant handbooks,
prints, maps etc. 1t is compile
mented by the Pioneers Room
given by Colonel Emil Tyden of
Michigan, in which are exhibited
the domestic articles used by or
similar to those used by the pio-
neers of this period.
The next two galleries survey
the political history of the United
States and the contributions made
to its development by Swedes and
Swedish Americans.
Turning left on the main stair
way the visitors go through two
rooms set apart to show the activ-
tiles of American Swedish women
In the first will be found rich col
lections of "hemslojd", looms, spin
ming wheels and other objects re-
lated to the home crafts move
ment. While the other, the beau
tiful Fredrika Bremen Room,
shows the contributions made by
women in public life. Here are
materials dealing with such people
as Mary Anderson, Edith Morris,
Alva Myrdal, Selma Lagerlof, and,
of course, the great novelist Fred
erika Bremen. The Museums
choicest Bremen item is the bound
manuscript of her novel "Herta".
It also prizes the manuscript of
Miss Lagerlof's "Varmland och
Varmlanningarna"...
From there the transition to tn,
Jenny Lind Room is natural one.
AS it's name suggests, this room is
devoted to the accomplishments of
Swedes and American Swedes in
the field of music, from the earl
lest period down to the current
stars of the Metropolitan Opera
Company. The notable items to
be seen here are the rich Jenny
Lind collection and the fine assem-
bly, of items associated with
Christina Nilsson.
Next comes series of rooms
devoted respectively to architec-
ture, building and manufacturing
(given by the late Andrew Land
quist); engineering and invention;
and John Ericsson (both sponsored
by the Westerlin family of Chi
cago). In the first of these is cur
rently being shown the Museums
unsurpassed collection of Scandi-
navian silver. In the others are
displayed drawings, models, pho
tographs, original patents, and
other materials that relate the in
calculable and fascinating contrib
utions made to American technical
progress in manifold ways by
Americans of Swedish background
In another room will be found
representative selections from the
Museums collection Of works by
American Swedish artists.
The Library was formally organ
lied in December, 1887, by a group
of Museum members interested in
collecting permanent records of
the contributions made by Swedes
and Swedish Americans to our ma
tional heritage. The Library has
grown steadily until it's holdings
now number some over eight
thousand items.
To be precise, one should speak
of the Museums Libraries, for
there are in fact two. The Peter
Rambo Research Library. given
by his descendant, Ormond Ram
DO, Jr., was named in honor of
one of the founders of New Swe-
den, Peter Rambo who died in
Philadelphia in 1893 as one of the
Colony's outstanding leaders.
The other library at the Museum
is the general reference one. In
it are to be found books, pam
phlets, letters, diaries, and other
documents dealing with the history
and achievements of Swedes in
America. Included in this cate
CORY are files of most of the
Swedish language newspapers
published in the United States and