From the age of the Vikings to the settlers of the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655), to contemporary issues in Scandinavian society, the American Swedish Historical Museum will take you back in time and across the sea to learn the stories of Swedes in America.

Take a Virtual Field Trip to the Dalarna Museum in Sweden!

CURRENT
Radically Marimekko

For over 70 years, Marimekko has infused art into the clothes and interiors of our everyday lives. Rising from the ashes of WWII, Marimekko’s colorful fabrics and openness to experimentation brought together the textile traditions of Finland with innovative and bold designs based on the changing tastes and aesthetics of the contemporary art world.

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Marimekko tie
Karin by the River
UPCOMING
Karin Larsson: Let the Hand Be Seen

While weaving rugs for the Larsson family’s home, a weaver happened to make a mistake urging Karin Larsson to remark “Continue… let the hand be seen”.

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Collection Highlights

Pause
American Swedish Historical Museum - Grover Cleveland

Anders Zorn, after a portrait by Zorn
Ink on paper
Sweden
1899
Gift in memory of Mr. Harry C.W.S. deBrun

Etching of 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.


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American Swedish Historical Museum - John Ericsson Solar Model

Brass, steel, wood
c. 1880
United States
Gift of the United Engineering Trustees Inc.

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.


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American Swedish Historical Museum Cane Axe

Wood, iron, mother of pearl
Late-17th/ early-18th century
Dalarna or Uppsala, Sweden
Gift of Ormond Rambo Jr. 1982.716

Cane Axe (Käppyxa)
After a decline in traditional usage, cane axes saw a renaissance by the late 1600s. Young noblemen at Uppsala University wielded these axes not in battle or mining but instead as fashionable accessories. This particular axe—with its ornate mother-of-pearl veneer and runic inscriptions—was likely part of this rebirth.


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American Swedish Historical Museum - Sinnickson Chest

Iron, paint
Early to mid-17th century
Likely Denmark, Holland, or Sweden
Gift of Mrs. Norman Grey

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


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American Swedish Historical Museum - Cloak pins

Bronze
10th century
Likely Scandinavia or Ireland
Collection of the American Swedish Historical Museum

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


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American Swedish Historical Museum - Viking sword

Iron, wood
9th – 12th century
Sweden
Gift of Ivar Thord-Gray

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.


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Exhibitions