Hello, my name is Noura Alcheikh and I'm pursuing a
history major and Arabic language and culture minor at Loyola University. This
blog is for my summer internship at the Swedish American Museum, right here in
Chicago! I applied at the Swedish American Museum because I wanted to know
how museums run and what different services they offer. As it turns out,
they do more than just showcase precious items; they are cultural centers,
libraries, schools, and genealogy centers. I also wanted to know how different
immigrant groups assimilated into American culture, and what traditions and
values they passed down to their children.
I will be working on a few projects during my time here, which include the Swedish Sites Project, the Oral History Project, and museum statistics. For the Swedish sites project, I research which buildings in the Chicago-land area were built and utilized by Swedish immigrants. The Oral History Project entails interviewing individuals of Swedish descent. For museum statistics, I will stand as a docent and record which exhibits patrons observe most. On my first day, which was the 24th, I worked on cataloging buildings with Swedish history. The museum itself is one of these landmarks; previously it was the Lind Hardware Store where many hardworking Swedish men socialized. The Swedish American Museum moved to this location in 1987. The current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, was present at its founding in 1976 and its relocation to 5211 N. Clark St.
Also on my first day, I had the privilege of having what is now my absolute favorite dessert in the world, Princess cake. A staff member at the museum turned 89 on Monday and we were celebrating her birthday with Princess (or Swedish) cake and saft, a tart raspberry juice.
Princess cake is essentially sponge cake filled with light cream and covered with marzipan, traditionally green. The cake takes its name from the daughters of Prince Carl, Duke of Vastergotland, as it was reportedly their favorite. I asked the executive director, Karin Abercrombie, where I can also get this ridiculously delicious cake. "The bakery is just up the street." She hesitated, then added somewhat mournfully, "It's the last Swedish bakery in Andersonville." Savoring my last bits of cake, I can see why the Swedish Bakery has survived the weak economy.
