wasmhi2016_59.xml Guide to the The Swedes’ Life and Work in the State of Washington Photograph Album circa 1920 Swedes’ (The) Life and Work in the State of Washington Photograph Album Finding aid prepared by Sue Terrible Museum of History & Industry © 2016
5933 6th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Phone: 206-324-1126 URL: http://www.mohai.org
Finding aid encoded by Jody Hendrickson 2016 Finding aid written inEnglish.Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition). Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library 2016.59 The Swedes’ Life and Work in the State of Washington photograph album circa 1920 .6 cubic feet 1 box Photograph album related to the life and work of Swedish immigrants living in Seattle and Washington State 1a.1.18Collection materials are in English.

This album of 92 photographs, related to the life of Swedish immigrants living in Seattle and Washington State, includes a variety of photographic subjects, including street scenes, apartment buildings, stores, residential property, ferry docks, lumber camps, group portraits, office interiors, schools and construction projects.. Historic Seattle churches and Swedish Hospital buildings and rooms are of particular interest. Many of the 8x10 black and white photographs are attributed to K.E. Nordland of Nordlands Foto Company, 1707 Market Street in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.

The title of the album was translated by the donor from the Swedish language title embossed on the cover of the album.

By 1910, nearly 150,000 Scandinavians had immigrated to the Pacific Northwest, making them the largest foreign-born ethic group in the state. Swedes labored on farms, lumber mills, railroads, mines and the waterfront. They frequently worked on construction projects, contributing manual labor and engineering skills. Many successful Swedish-owned businesses were established in Seattle between 1890 and 1930.

The pioneer Swedes clustered together socially and formed a large number of secular, religious and charitable organizations including clubs, lodges, orders and churches. The Swedish Club was founded by recent arrivals in 1892 at the Stockholm Hotel, located at First Avenue and Bell Street. The hotel was owned and operated by Andrew Chilberg, President of the Scandinavian-American Bank and Puget Sound Savings and Loan. Early members and founders of the Swedish Club included Nels B. Nelson of Frederick & Nelson, and John Nordstrom, who together with Carl Wallin started what is now Nordstrom Department Store. The first Swedish Club building was located in downtown Seattle at Eighth Avenue and Olive Street.

Swedish Hospital was organized in 1908 to address the Swedish Club’s concerns for healthcare. It began operation in a leased building on Belmont Avenue and moved to a new building on Summit and Columbia in 1912. Club member Dr. Nils A. Johanson was the driving force behind the hospital.

The church was an important factor in the lives of Scandinavian immigrants, and the major denominations were Lutheran, Baptist and Methodist. The 30-year pastorate of Reverend Emil Friborg was instrumental in founding Adelphia College in 1905. Seattle charitable organizations of Swedish origin include the Millionaire Club and the Lutheran Compass Mission. The Scandinavian Department at the University of Washington was established in 1910, when an addition to the State Constitution required a Swedish language program be included in the University program.

Seattle Swedish social organizations include various Vasa Lodges, the Skandia Folkdance Society and the Swedish Cultural Society, founded in 1921. In 1961, a modern Swedish Club building was completed overlooking Lake Union and downtown Seattle. The Swedish Club continues their mission to promote better understanding between the United States and Scandinavian countries.

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

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

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.

The Swedes’ Life and Work in the State of Washington Photograph Album, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Album was found at the Swedish Cultural Center in Seattle, provenance unknown.

Gift of Swedish Cultural Center, received in 2016.

Original album was large and heavy, with wooden covers covered in leather. Since only a minority of the pages contained photographs, and the album was unduly weighty, it was disassembled, the pages numbered in the original order, and boxed. The album cover was also retained.

Accession no. 2014.106 is comprised of twelve photographs attributed to Nordlands Foto Company, and depicts homes and construction projects, including a waterfront pier being built by A.W. Quist for the American Can Company.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Swedish Hospital Medical Center Seattle (Wash.) Ballard (Seattle, Wash.) Buildings--Washington (State)--Seattle Churches--Washington (State)--Seattle Swedish Americans Seattle Scandinavian Americans Photograph albums 2016.59.1 Swedish Hospital buildings exterior view circa 1920

Columbia and Summit Streets

 2016.59.2 Swedish Hospital interior view of laboratory room circa 1920

Columbia and Summit Streets

 2016.59.3 Swedish Hospital buildings exterior view circa 1920

Columbia and Summit Streets

 2016.59.4 Interior room with fireplace and staircase circa 1920

Signed on front, Nordlands Foto Co.

 2016.59.5 Ballard Swedish Baptist Church exterior view circa 1920

20th Avenue NW and West 63rd

 2016.59.6 Adelphia College group portrait on front steps circa 1920

13th Avenue North and Miller Street

 2016.59.7 Swedish Businessman's Association group portrait outside Snoqualmie Falls Lodge 1921 May 14 2016.59.8 Finnish Evangelical Church exterior view with people in front circa 1920

1708 65th Street

 2016.59.9 Central School, Kirkland circa 1920 2016.59.10 Swedish Engineers Club exterior view circa 1920 2016.59.11 Snoqualmie Falls circa 1920 2016.59.12 Group of men, women and children on the deck of boat Luna circa 1920 2016.59.13 Craftsman style bungalow exterior circa 1920

Meridan and Kirkwood Place NW

 2016.59.14 Large group of women and one man posing in park circa 1920 2016.59.15 Logging operation with steam donkey circa 1920 2016.59.16 Kirkland waterfront view looking south circa 1920 2016.59.17 Kirkland ferry dock circa 1920 2016.59.18 Road construction work crew in Kirkland circa 1920 2016.59.19 Two story house exterior view circa 1920

N.E. corner Broadway and Hamlin Streets

 2016.59.20 Large two story brick house unknown location circa 1920 2016.59.21 House owned by Dr. Nils A. Johanson at 2801 Broadway East, exterior view circa 1920

N.E. corner Broadway and Hamlin Streets

 2016.59.22 Columbia Lutheran Home exterior view circa 1920

Phinney Avenue

 2016.59.23 Southern Pacific Lines exterior view circa 1920

314 Union Street

 2016.59.24 Scandinavian American Steamship Line, interior view circa 1920

116 Cherry Street

 2016.59.25 Scandinavian American Steamship Line, exterior view circa 1920

116 Cherry Street

 2016.59.26 Yellow cab in front of Perfection Tires Shop circa 1920 2016.59.27 Swedish Tabernacle circa 1920

Pike and Bellevue Streets

 2016.59.28 House, unknown location circa 1920 2016.59.29 House, unknown location circa 1920 2016.50.30 Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church exterior view circa 1920

7400 Woodlawn Avenue

 2016.50.31 People boarding the Leschi ferry circa 1920 2016.59.32 Leschi ferry dock circa 1920 2016.50.33 University of Washington Husky Stadium Wayfarer Stage construction circa 1920 2016.59.34 University of Washington Husky Stadium Wayfarer Stage construction circa 1920 2016.59.35 Street construction with pipe circa 1920 2016.59.36 Building construction scene circa 1920 2016.59.37 Ship Kirketin from Kristiania circa 1920

Pier 11, Virginia Street

 2016.59.38 Ferry Leschi at Leschi Landing circa 1920 2016.59.39 Kirkland ferry dock circa 1920 2016.59.40 Metropolitan Theater exterior view circa 1920

University Street and Fifth Avenue

 2016.59.41 Railroad car on track circa 1920 2016.59.42 House on rural street circa 1920

"Sasse" on mailbox

 2016.59.43 Logs stacked on railroad cars circa 1920 2016.59.44 Man standing next to a large tree circa 1920 2016.59.45 Logging operation circa 1920 2016.59.46 Logging camp circa 1920 2016.59.47 Office interior circa 1920

Heiden's Mailing Bureau

 2016.59.48 Heep's Lunch with men eating at a counter circa 1920

1207 3rd Avenue

 2016.59.49 Women typing at a table circa 1920 2016.59.50 Interior view of warehouse circa 1920 2016.59.51 Strom and Olsen Hardwood Floors exterior view circa 1920

1618 12th Avenue

 2016.59.52 Alaska Steamship Company exterior view circa 1920

707 2nd Avenue

 2016.59.53 Interior view of warehouse circa 1920 2016.59.54 Ferry Issaquah launch circa 1920 2016.59.55 Ferry Issaquah launch circa 1920 2016.59.56 Kirkland ferry dock circa 1920 2016.59.57 Unidentified church circa 1920 2016.59.58 House location unknown circa 1920 2016.59.59 Choir and musicians onstage circa 1920 2016.59.60 Wallin and Nordstrom shoe display exterior view circa 1920

1422 2nd Avenue

 2016.59.61 Display cases and stairway, possibly the Olympic Hotel circa 1920

105 Yesler Way

 2016.59.62 Wallin and Nordstrom shoe store interior view circa 1920

1422 2nd Avenue

 2016.59.63 Wallin and Nordstrom shoe store interior view circa 1920

1422 2nd Avenue

 2016.59.64 Man, woman and boy in front of unidentified house circa 1920 2016.59.65 People, car and two unidentified houses circa 1920 2016.59.66 Swedish-American family on porch of house circa 1925 2016.59.67 Family group in front of unidentified house circa 1920 2016.59.68 The Switzerland Furnished Rooms circa 1920

1443 West 51st Street

 2016.59.69 Family group in front of farm house circa 1920 2016.59.70 Farm house and orchard circa 1920 2016.59.71 Family group in front of unidentified house circa 1920 2016.59.72 Office interior circa 1920 2016.59.73 Bank interior circa 1920 2016.59.74 Steam plant interior circa 1920 2016.59.75 Swedish Hospital room circa 1920 2016.59.76 Beach camp with small cabins circa 1920 2016.59.77 Beach camp with small cabins circa 1920 2016.59.78 Swedish-Americans having a picnic circa 1925 2016.59.79 The Humpfrey apartment building circa 1920

2205 2nd Avenue

 2016.59.80 The Cambridge apartment building circa 1920

9th Avenue and Union Street

 2016.59.81 Swedish Hospital exterior view circa 1920 2016.59.82 Interior view of large barber shop circa 1920 2016.59.83 Waiting room, possibly photo studio circa 1920 2016.59.84 Doctor's office interior circa 1920 2016.59.85 Doctor's office examining room circa 1920 2016.59.86 Crowd at University of Washington stadium circa 1920 2016.59.87 Side view of tractor trailer truck circa 1920 2016.59.88 Side view of truck circa 1920

West Coast Hauling Company

 2016.59.89 Summer camp one-story buildings circa 1920 2016.59.90 Richfield's Gas Station on a rural road circa 1920 2016.59.91 Studio portrait of unknown man circa 1920

Nordlands Foto Co.

 2016.59.92 Funeral Home with open casket and flowers circa 1920