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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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70 results for: Scandinavian American

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Image of Halibut fisherman, Seattle, 1956
Photograph

Halibut fisherman, Seattle, 1956

Photographer Josef Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.Scaylea often photographed fisherman, including this Scandanavian fisherman in Ballard. Handwritten on image: Josef Scaylea.Handwritten on…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.96
Date:1956
Image of Scandinavian gillnetter Oscar Hambre, LaConner, Washington, 1965
Photograph

Scandinavian gillnetter Oscar Hambre, LaConner, Washington, 1965

Photographer Josef Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.Scaylea photographed many fishermen over the years, including this protrait of gillnetter Oscar Hambre in 1965.…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.207
Date:1965
Image of Sculptor Carl Freemanson, Preston, 1960
Photograph

Sculptor Carl Freemanson, Preston, 1960

Sculptor Carl Freemanson (1905-1975) was a Swedish immigrant who moved to the Seattle area in 1950 after living and working in several other US cities. His art was exhibited in museums and galleries across the country, and he ran the Gallery in the Roest in Upper Preston, Washington. This portrait of the artist was taken by photographer Josef Scaylea.Scaylea (1913-2004)…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.212
Date:1960
Image of August Werner, Seattle, March 1973
Photograph

August Werner, Seattle, March 1973

August Hansen Werner (1893-1980) settled in Seattle in 1931 after an American career as a singer, particularly in the Norwegian American community. Werner had a thirty-year career as a University of Washington School of Music professor and became known as advocate for music and the arts within Scandinavian communities. Additionally, Werner was a visual artist who created the Leif Erikson…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.231
Date:1973
Image of Ivar Haglund, Seattle, 1962
Photograph

Ivar Haglund, Seattle, 1962

Ivar Haglund shares a tender moment with one of his long-time companions. One of Seattle's most colorful and popular characters, Ivar won his way into the hearts of local residents with his zany antics. Born to Swedish/Norwegian parents in West Seattle in 1905 he grew up playing guitar and singing, performing on radio, on stage and on the sidewalk, eventually…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.236
Date:1962
Image of Banquet program for King Harald V's visit, 1995
Ephemera

Banquet program for King Harald V's visit, 1995

Norway's King Harald V (b. 1937) and Queen Sonja (b. 1937) came to Seattle in 1995 for a four-day visit that included events around Puget Sound. Harald had visited Seattle twice previously as crown prince, first in January 1964 for an official visit, then in briefly in October 1967 after an official visit to Canada. The Pacific Northwest is home…
ID Number:Lib1996.8.17
Date:1995
Image of Woman spinning in Swedish Folk Art exhibition, February 1937
Photograph

Woman spinning in Swedish Folk Art exhibition, February 1937

In mid-February 1937, various Swedish groups sponsored a Swedish Folk Art Exhibit at Seattle's Frederick and Nelson department store. Exhibits included handicrafts, utensils, furniture and weaving and spinning demonstrations. During the exhibit, Mrs. Ingeborg Soderlund demonstrated how to spin thread on an early 19th century wheel brought to Seattle from Gamtland in northern Sweden.This photo, taken in Seattle in February…
ID Number:PI22473
Date:1937
Image of Alaskan gold at the Scandinavian American Bank, circa 1901
Photograph

Alaskan gold at the Scandinavian American Bank, circa 1901

Between 1897 and 1910, gold and money from the gold rush poured into Seattle's banks. Between May 1897 and September 1903, deposits at Seattle's Scandinavian American Bank grew from $170,594.08 to nearly $2.7 million.This photo was taken sometime between 1897 and 1902, at the Scandinavian American Bank in Seattle. It shows bank president Andrew Chilberg (right, behind counter) and a…
ID Number:SHS404
Date:circa 1901
Image of Reindeer and Sami at Woodland Park, 1898
Photograph

Reindeer and Sami at Woodland Park, 1898

In 1892, the United States government started bringing reindeer from Siberia into Alaska as a new food source for the native peoples. In 1898, the government brought in Norwegian reindeer, along with Sami herdsmen and their families. They stopped in Seattle to wait for a ship to Alaska. Some Sami remained in Alaska, while others eventually returned to Seattle or…
ID Number:SHS2899
Date:1898
Image of Ballard Boat Works on Salmon Bay, 1918
Photograph

Ballard Boat Works on Salmon Bay, 1918

Norwegian immigrant Sivert Sagstad founded Ballard Boat Works in 1905 at the foot of Thirty-sixth Avenue NW. Sagstad had learned boat building from his father. By the time he died in 1946, the company had built more than 300 commercial fishing vessels, tug boats, and military rescue boats. The business changed its name and relocated several times; it is now…
ID Number:SHS15167
Date:1918
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MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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