American Swedish Historical Museum | Connecting Cultures and Community

Did you know that a Swedish-American engineered the first American motorcycle? It happened in 1901 when Carl Oscar Hedstrom (1871-1960), a Swedish immigrant and machinist, and George Hendee (1866-1943), an American bicycle racer and builder, founded the “Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company”.

Workers of the World, Awaken! The Life and Legacy of Joe Hill

Read more about Workers of the World, Awaken! The Life and Legacy of Joe Hill

Celebrate the spirit of Labor Day by learning more about Joe Hill (born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund), the Swedish-American labor activist, songwriter, cartoonist, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois

Read more about A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois

The Bishop Hill Colony was a religious community founded in Illinois in 1846 by Eric Janson and his followers. The small Swedish colony survived for only 15 years, but it left a lasting mark on immigration history.

Flowers and Monsters: Hand-Carved Furniture by Karl von Rydingsvärd

Read more about Flowers and Monsters: Hand-Carved Furniture by Karl von Rydingsvärd

Karl von Rydingsvärd was a Swedish immigrant whose passion for woodcarving made him influential within the Arts and Crafts movement of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. His story is one of Swedish nobility and American success.

Skål: Scandinavian Spirits

Read more about Skål: Scandinavian Spirits

All over Scandinavia, December and January are filled with celebrations of good food, good drink, and good company. January – September 2017 learn about traditional holiday drinks such as Christmas beers, aquavit, and glögg. Offer a hearty “Skål!”

Viking Sword

While we often consider the Vikings as raiders, they were also crafty merchants and brilliant navigators. Spears and shields were more common weapons for Vikings while only the wealthiest warriors carried swords.

Cloak Pins

Archaeologists unearthed these cloak pins in Ireland, showing the extent to which the Vikings settled other lands.

Etching of Grover Cleveland

American Swedish Historical Museum - Grover Cleveland

The American Swedish Historical Museum is only one of six museums in the United States with a collection of Anders Zorn’s work. Our collection includes his well-known etchings of American presidents Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Howard Taft, among a number of other figures.

John Ericsson Solar Model

Gravitational energy, solar steam engines, and tidal power … sounds like science fiction, right? Think again! Swedish-American inventor, John Ericsson, was ahead of his time when he researched such theories in the mid to late 1800s. Ericsson invented this solar-powered steam engine, for example, to reduce the use of coal.

Sinnickson Chest

Sinnick Broer, a Finn, brought this painted iron strongbox to the New Sweden colonies in 1656.

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