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The Museum recently received the donation of a small wooden tankard. The tankard is decorated with colorful, painted floral patterns, scrolls and a heart, and was donated by Johanna Johnson of California. It was brought to the United States aboard one of the Swedish American Line ships in 1939 by Johanna’ s grandmother, Anna Matilda Person Johnson. Anna, who was born in Sweden in 1869, lived with her husband, Ola Johnson, and six children in Woodbury County, Iowa. The tankard was a gift to Per Johnson – Anna’ s oldest son – from his grandparents who lived in Sweden. The staved tankard remained in Johanna’ s family until it was donated to the Swedish American Museum at the request of Johanna’ s Aunt Olga earlier this year.
Though we have somewhat limited information on the tankard, examining its characteristics and doing a little research can begin to open up the multitude of stories it can tell. On one level, this tankard is a wonderful example of staved drinking vessels that were commonly made as a home craft, or hemslöjd. Wood was a readily available resource in such a heavily forested country as Sweden, and as a result, many household items – such as food storage and serving ware – were turned, carved and coopered from pieces of wood. Coopering, the art of barrel-making, was and still is, a highly skilled craft. Today, most people think of wine or whiskey when thinking of barrels, but in 18th and 19th century Sweden, barrels were also invaluable storage containers for dried fish and meat and vegetables as well as liquids. Barrels were secure and easy to transport. In this period, vessels for carrying and serving drinks such as beer were commonly coopered, though usually smaller than a typical barrel. With the rising popularity of aquavit in the 18th century, special coopered kegs and canteens were created to store and carry the drink. The practical use for this particular tankard is unknown, but its form as a coopered container is exemplary of a notable craft tradition in Sweden.
The fact that this tankard is of a typical of a Swedish craft tradition is also important on an individual level because the tankard was a gift to an emigrant in the early 20th century. The tankard could be thought of as sort of souvenir of Swedish culture, of the culture of Per Johnson’ s homeland. In that way, it could represent his connection with his Swedish roots and with his Grandparents, who were still in Bjuv, Sweden when they sent it to him. The flowers painted on the vessel, perhaps significantly, are daisies or prästkragar. The daisy is the provincial flower of Skåne, where the town of Bjuv is located. The inclusion of daisies in the decoration of the object may have been conscious effort to remind Per of his grandparents’ home in Skåne. Alternatively, daisies are frequently understood to be a symbol of innocence and childhood, so the daisies could also be seen as a reference to Per’ s childhood in Sweden, or perhaps reflect the fact that the tankard may have been given to him when he was a child. A third interpretation is that the daisies were not consciously selected for their symbolism at all and were simply painted as a result of artistic preference or any number or personal associations for Per or his grandparents.
Objects can “ tell” stories of all kinds through their use, form, decoration, materials, and context. The two small observations that the tankard is staved and is decorated with daisies allowed me to delve into multiple stories using the object as an entry point. What stories can your treasures tell?
Veronica Robinson is the Curator of the Swedish American Museum since March of 2010. holds a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University. For questions or to share your stories, you may e-mail her at VRobinson@samac.org.
The Museum would like to thank all who attended and participated in our Annual Ball, Viking Spirit, held on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. We especially thank our sponsors for their generous contributions to Viking Spirit and the Museum, making such a wonderful night possible.
The Swedish American Museum Award winners honored at Viking Spirit were Paul Muhr and Linda Westergren-Muhr, long-time members and supporters of the Museum for the past 30 years. All of our guests had a wonderful time and enjoyed the musical entertainment by Michael Thorn Trio, delicious food, Nordic dancing, and our silent auction items. For more information about our Annual Ball, please click here.
Come hear about Fair Oaks Farms and the other ventures of Swedish cheesemaker and author Sven Mill in a presentation on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m at the Museum. Since he arrived at Fair Oaks, located in Northwest Indiana, Sven has been putting his talents to use, most notably with his famous Royal Blue Cheese.
Following the presentation, there will be a sampling of appetizers from some of the farms’ products, along with a wine tasting. Cost: $20 members, $25 non-members. Reservations are recommended. To reserve your spot or to learn more about this event, please click here, e-mail Museum@samac.org, or call 773.728.8111.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a Museum?
Find out for yourself at our first ever Museum Dreaming! From Friday night, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. to Saturday morning, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m., guests will be able to spend a night at the Museum as well as enjoy dinner, crafts, games, adventures, and breakfast–all while the Museum is closed to the public.
This event is geared for children ages 5 and up; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Guests are required to provide their own bedding. Cost: $75 per person members, $85 per person non-members. Reservations and advanced payment required. To reserve your spot and pay for Museum Dreaming, please pay online by clicking here or call 773.728.8111.
The fall and winter seasons are always packed with fun and educational programs and events at the Museum, so check out our online calendar by clicking here to schedule your favorite one! You may also sign up for our weekly e-mail blasts and monthly e-mail newsletter by clicking here. It’s easy, free, and delivers the most up-to-date information about the Museum and Museum events!
Our annual ball, Viking Spirit, is just upon us! If you are interested in attending our annual dinner, dance and auction, please call 773.728.8111 as soon as possible to reserve your spot. This special event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010 at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago.
Honorees for Viking Spirit will be long-time Museum members Paul Muhr and Linda Westergren-Muhr. The multi-course meal will be catered by Jewell Events Catering, and musical entertainment will be provided by the Michael Thorn Trio.
We are still selling raffle tickets, and all are invited to purchase tickets to benefit the Museum! One ticket is $20, but you may purchase six tickets for a special price of $100. The grand prize is roundtrip airfare for two to Sweden on SAS! To learn more about Viking Spirit, the raffle prizes, or how you can donate to our annual ball, please click here.
Did you know that the Museum offers regular monthly programs designed to help you understand your Swedish ancestry and its history in Chicago?
For those who are interested in learning about their family history, the Nordic Family Genealogy Center at the Museum will hold two genealogy events in October: A special day-long research event with representatives of Genline on Wednesday, Oct. 20; and a genealogy research session on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon. We also have weekly genealogy research time on Wednesdays from noon to 3:30 p.m.! For more information about the Genealogy Center and all of its programs, please click here.
If you would like to know more about Swedish immigration in Chicago–when your ancestors may have first arrived here!–then join Museum Curator Veronica Robinson for a guided tour of our permanent exhibit, A Dream of America: Swedish Immigration to Chicago, on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 11 a.m. Here, you will relive the journey from Sweden to Chicago at the turn of the century with stories and objects from real immigrants. For more information about the guided tour, please click here.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a Museum?
Find out for yourself at our first ever Museum Dreaming! From Friday night, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. to Saturday morning, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m., guests will be able to spend a night at the Museum as well as enjoy dinner, crafts, games, adventures, and breakfast–all while the Museum is closed to the public.
This event is geared for children ages 5 and up; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Guests are required to provide their own bedding. Cost: $75 per person members, $85 per person non-members. Reservations and advanced payment required. To reserve your spot and pay for Museum Dreaming, please pay online by clicking here or call 773.728.8111.
The fall and winter seasons are always packed with fun and educational programs and events at the Museum, so check out our online calendar by clicking here to schedule your favorite one! You may also sign up for our weekly e-mail blasts and monthly e-mail newsletter by clicking here. It’s easy, free, and delivers the most up-to-date information about the Museum and Museum events!
| The Nordic Family Genealogy Center is sponsoring a special genealogy research event with Genline on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010. Jan Eurenius of Genline Sweden, as well as Kathy Meade and Dr. Dan Hubbard, will be available to assist individuals with their Swedish research in individual sessions at the Museum.
Reservations are required and space is very limited. Those who are interested are instructed to pick a desired research time, which can be found by clicking here. Research sessions will last 45 minutes. Please give a first and second choice for research times. For more information or to make reservations, please contact Genline’s Kathy Meade at 1.800.975.5493 or e-mail usinfo@genline.com. She will provide a confirmation time. |
From Friday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, the community will celebrate the eighth annual Andersonville Arts Weekend with dozens of stores and organizations hosting artwork from many Chicago artists as well as national and international artists. The Swedish American Museum will feature the photography of Tone Stockenström, a Swedish artist who immigrated to Minnesota with her family in 1976 and moved to Chicago in 1994.
Stockenström will display a second installment of the exhibit Where is Home, a collection of photographs from Stockenstrom’s trips to Sweden from where she connects
with her roots by photographing and interviewing family members, graveyards, homes, and other areas along the Baltic Sea. “My Swedish ancestry has impacted my desire to explore the immigrant experience,” Stockenström says. “It was important to me to travel back to Sweden to revisit the places of my childhood and all of the family members who remain there.”
Stockenström previously exhibited the first part of Where is Home at the Museum in 2005 and says it is wonderful to share the second part here. The Museum will offer free admission on Saturday and Sunday of Andersonville Arts Weekend 2010. For more information, please visit the Andersonville Arts Weekend website by clicking here.
Our annual ball, Viking Spirit, is fast approaching, and we are still selling raffle tickets to support the Museum. All are invited to purchase tickets to benefit the Museum. One ticket is $20, but you may purchase six tickets for a special price of $100. Grand prize is roundtrip airfare for two to Sweden!
To learn more about Viking Spirit, the raffle, and how you can donate to our annual ball, please click here.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a Museum?
Find out for yourself at our first ever Museum Dreaming! From Friday night, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. to Saturday morning, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m., guests will be able to spend a night at the Museum as well as enjoy dinner, crafts, games, adventures, and breakfast–all while the Museum is closed to the public.
This event is geared for children ages 5 and up; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Guests are required to provide their own bedding. Cost: $75 per person members, $85 per person non-members. Reservations and advanced payment required. To reserve your spot and pay for Museum Dreaming, please pay online by clicking here or call 773.728.8111.
The fall and winter seasons are always packed with fun and educational programs and events at the Museum, so check out our online calendar by clicking here to schedule your favorite one! You may also sign up for our weekly e-mail blasts and monthly e-mail newsletter by clicking here. It’s easy, free, and delivers the most up-to-date information about the Museum and Museum events!
