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Brand family papers, circa 1880-1965

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Brand family
Title
Brand family papers
Dates
circa 1880-1965 (inclusive)
circa 1880-1910 (bulk)
Quantity
8 boxes, (3.5 cubic feet)
Collection Number
1981.7328 (accession)
Summary
Photographs, hotel registers, books, sheet music and other materials related to the Brand family, Swedish immigrants that came to Seattle in 1883
Repository
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library

P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Languages
English.
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Biographical Note

August (circa 1862-1950) and Anna Brand (1869-1952), natives of Sweden, came to the United States in 1883. August (born August Niklasson) cam from Kvill, on Sweden's West Coast, and Anna's family, the Erlandssens, came from Kalmar and nearby Backebo, in the region of Smaland on Sweden's east side. They were married 1893, and in 1903 they bought a hotel at the corner of Sixth Avenue and James Street The hotel, built around 1880, had previously been known as The Western and The Michigan; Mr. Brand renamed it the Hotel Kalmar, after his wife's home in Sweden. The Kalmar served mostly working men, offering rooms by the day, week, and month. After August and Anna passed away in the early 1950s, the hotel was administered by their children, Viola and Leonard. It was under their watch that the Kalmar was demolished in 1962, to clear space for Interstate 5.

The Brands had three children: Garfield (circa 1894-1903), Viola (circa 1895-1981), and Leonard (circa 1902-1969). In 1900, the children's cousin Frida (Gottfrida) Gabrielson (b. 1896) came to live with them in Seattle; she was roughly the same age as Viola.

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Content Description

This collection consists largely of loose photographs (approximately 140), some identified and dated but others unidentified. The photos come in different formats—mounted, photo booth, tintype, glass-encased, and postcard. Half of the photos are stamped; half of these are from Seattle, and half are from Sweden (mostly Kalmar and Stockholm). Most are family portraits, but there are also images of rural Sweden and Seattle. In 1900, August and Anna Brand made a visit to Sweden, and many of the photos were taken at that time. August's younger brother Anders (Andrew) Brand and their sister Beata and her son Carl accompanied them on their return to the United States. The collection also includes family documents (such as baptismal certificates), hotel registers, books, and sheet music. Also included are newspaper articles from the 1960s regarding the Kalmar's imminent demolition. The collection conveys a sense of the Brand family's business affairs as well as their recreational activities; they appear pious, close-knit, and well-connected to their Swedish roots.

A wealth of additional information about the family was provided by a relative, Gunilla Rydberg of Habo, Sweden, after initial publication of the finding aid. The finding aid was edited to reflect this new material.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in MOHAI's online collections.

Restrictions on Use

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Brand Family Papers, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged in series:

  • Photographs
  • Family papers
  • Ephemera
  • Hotel Kalmar registers
  • Books
  • Sheet music

Location of Collection

13B.1.5, 9-10

Location of Collection

1a.3.16 (oversize photos)

Location of Collection

1a.4 (oversize certificate)

Acquisition Information

Gift of Marion Pommer; received in 1981.

Processing Note

Duplicate and damaged materials were removed from the collection during processing.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Finding aid prepared by Guy McClellan
2011

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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