Exhibitions | American Swedish Historical Museum

From the age of the Vikings to the settlers of the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655), to contemporary issues in Scandinavian society, the American Swedish Historical Museum will take you back in time and across the sea to learn the stories of Swedes in America.

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Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland

The act of taking a sauna is an inherent part of the Finnish culture. The tradition stretches back almost 10,000 years – the earliest examples of sauna culture are from 7,000 BC. Finns bring sauna wherever they go, including the United States, and the tradition still thrives in certain regions of America where many Finnish people have settled. Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland explores the Finnish sauna tradition with a model sauna and sauna objects as well as stories, photos, and videos shared with us from home and abroad.

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Collection Highlights

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American Swedish Historical Museum Cane Axe

Wood, iron, mother of pearl
Late-17th/ early-18th century
Dalarna or Uppsala, Sweden
Gift of Ormond Rambo Jr. 1982.716

Cane Axe (Käppyxa)

After a decline in traditional usage, cane axes saw a renaissance by the late 1600s. Young noblemen at Uppsala University wielded these axes not in battle or mining but instead as fashionable accessories. This particular axe—with its ornate mother-of-pearl veneer and runic inscriptions—was likely part of this rebirth.

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Iron, wood
9th – 12th century
Sweden
Gift of Ivar Thord-Gray

Viking Sword

While we often consider the Vikings as raiders, they were also crafty merchants and brilliant navigators. Spears and shields were more common weapons for Vikings while only the wealthiest warriors carried swords.

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Bronze
10th century
Likely Scandinavia or Ireland
Collection of the American Swedish Historical Museum

Cloak Pins

Archaeologists unearthed these cloak pins in Ireland, showing the extent to which the Vikings settled other lands.

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Brass, steel, wood
c. 1880
United States
Gift of the United Engineering Trustees Inc.

John Ericsson Solar Model

Gravitational energy, solar steam engines, and tidal power … sounds like science fiction, right? Think again! Swedish-American inventor, John Ericsson, was ahead of his time when he researched such theories in the mid to late 1800s. Ericsson invented this solar-powered steam engine, for example, to reduce the use of coal.

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American Swedish Historical Museum - Grover Cleveland

Anders Zorn, after a portrait by Zorn
Ink on paper
Sweden
1899
Gift in memory of Mr. Harry C.W.S. deBrun

Etching of Grover Cleveland

The American Swedish Historical Museum is only one of six museums in the United States with a collection of Anders Zorn’s work. Our collection includes his well-known etchings of American presidents Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Howard Taft, among a number of other figures.

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Iron, paint
Early to mid-17th century
Likely Denmark, Holland, or Sweden
Gift of Mrs. Norman Grey

Sinnickson Chest

Sinnick Broer, a Finn, brought this painted iron strongbox to the New Sweden colonies in 1656.

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