The predecessor of the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle, Vestri, was established in Ballard, Washington on October 21st, 1900 by members of the Icelandic-American community in Ballard. Vestri was formed to promote learning and fellowship, retain the purity of the Icelandic language, and encourage greater knowledge of Icelandic literature. Activities during Vestri meetings included singing, reading poetry and stories as well as speeches concerning various local, national, and historical topics. Members also discussed social events and other administrative topics relating to the club and its activities.
By 1965 attendance at the club meetings was low enough to raise concern. Members of Vestri recognized the need to transform the club "to meet present day needs"—specifically to hold the meetings in English while carrying on the work of Vestri in the community. On March 16, 1965 the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle was formally established, and in May 1966 Vestri was formally dissolved. Since 1965, the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle has continued to promote Icelandic culture and language. It has sponsored the Scandinavian Music Festival, Iceland Independence Day celebrations, and Icelandic language courses. In 1982 the Club held a reception to honor the president of Iceland. In 1986 it was formally received into the Icelandic National League of North America, which is "a non-political, cultural organization that strives to contribute to North American culture through the preservation and promotion of the positive aspects of our Icelandic heritage... through the strengthening of cultural bonds and kinship ties with the people of Iceland and through the promotion of cooperation among Icelandic cultural groups here in North America."
In 1911 Vestri was complimented by a women's auxiliary called Eining, also based in Ballard, Washington. Eining was partly modeled on the Ladies Aid Society of Minneota. According to the club's constitution, the purpose of Eining was "to aid the ill and needy Icelandic people and families in Seattle and vicinity: not only members but non-members as well" as well as to "promote friendly associations in the Icelandic community in Seattle."
Arranged into three series:
The records of the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle document the activities of the club and its predecessors, Vestri and Eining, as well as Icelandic and Scandinavian cultural events in Seattle, Washington. Vestri and Eining established constitutions and by-laws, and they kept minutes of their meetings. Vestri created its own Icelandic language periodical titled
Open to all users.
Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Donated by the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle, via Ted Beck, in January 2002.
Processed by Dan Waters in 2006.
Additional Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle records are part of the Scandinavian Archives, Accession No. 0356-001, in Special Collections.
Mostly concerns annual and occasional events related to Icelandic and Scandinavian cultures. They also include documentation of the following topics: club organizational structure, celebrations, weddings, anniversaries, obituaries, Iceland Independence Day, Christmas around the world, Scandinavian Music Festival, and Icelandic language teaching and courses. The reports were written by two club appointed historians, Gudrun Magnusson from 1965 to 1978, and Anna Bjornson from 1979 to 1989.
Minute books from the 1970s and 1980s have some color photographs pasted to the pages.
There are gaps for the following years: 1903-1905, 1912-1913, and 1915-1919.
Two programs in Icelandic included with 1920 minutes.