In celebration of the Society’s seventieth anniversary, a festive dinner and program for members and friends will be held at the Swedish American Museum (5211 N. Clark Street, Chicago). A special Swedish smörgåsbord dinner, catered by Tre Kronor Restaurant, will accompany a program of music, historical reflection, and recognition. The anniversary speaker is Dr. Dag Blanck, Professor of North American Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden, and longtime director of the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. A noted authority on immigration and relations between Sweden and the United States, he will discuss the question, “Where Do We Stand Today? The Changing Nature of Swedish-American History.” The reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The cost for the evening is $50.00 per person.
The evening events will be preceded by an afternoon program at the museum, co-sponsored by the Swedish American Museum, on the history of Swedish food culture, its relation to the time of mass immigration (1840-1930), and how family and communal traditions have been maintained and adapted over several generations by descendants of the pioneers. The well-known Swedish scholar and media authority Professor Richard Tellström will lecture and lead discussion on two themes: the history of Swedish food from medieval times to the present—with focus on the time of immigration; and the development of the smörgåsbord tradition in Swedish and American life—with reference to Chicago and the museum’s exhibit of its newly received collection from the Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera Theatre and Restaurant in Chicago (1941-1971).
The afternoon event begins at 2:00 and concludes at 5:30 (including a coffee break hosted by the museum). This is a free event, but it does require registration.
Download the registration form here.
When: October 20, 2018
Where: Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Cost: $50 per person for evening events (dinner included); afternoon presentations are free but still require pre-registration
Parking for the museum is available at the corner of Foster and Ashland, just one block away from the museum.
Contact us with questions: info@swedishamericanhist.org