Day 11: Having My Cake and Eating It Too

Last Thursday, I accompanied my co-intern Kate to the Swedish Bakery to conduct an interview. Kate had scheduled an appointment at 12 PM with the owner, Marlies Stanton. We were escorted to the kitchen by her daughter, Kathy, who was very helpful and hospitable. The museum leant us an iPad with a recording device that could easily transfer our interview to a computer. Since Kate is working on the oral history project, her questions are more about Marlies's life and her experiences in Andersonville. Marlies had worked for the previous owner, Gosta Bjuhr, from 1971 to 1979. When he retired, she took over and slowly recruited her family members, officially making the Swedish Bakery a family business.

They expanded the bakery greatly, tripling its size and increasing its staff. Although Marlies is German, she has upheld many of the traditional Swedish pastries, namely Princess Cake and Swedish Fruit Cake. In addition, the Swedish Bakery has coffee cake, breads, spritzes, and dommars. I was fortunate that Marlies and her employees have lived in the Andersonville area for many years, and were able to recall many of the establishments that are now gone. They were able to assist each other in identifying and confirming past businesses. What interested me most about the interview was a particular cigar shop that everybody remembered, but no one could remember what it was called or who the owners were, despite associating with them for many years.

Yum!

As part of the oral history project, Kate will transcribe our interview, which will allow me to map out the places they recounted. Fortunately, they recalled the places by remembering which order they were in. It was a pleasure meeting with the owners of the Swedish Bakery, a business that maintains a family atmosphere and excellent quality desserts. On our way out, Kathy was kind enough to give us "goody-bags" as a memento of our visit.

Day 10: Talking Shop

Today, I worked in a part of the museum that many can't resist drifting into: the gift shop. I was surrounded by an assortment of interesting items that ranged from novelties to children's books to kitchenware. Working in the gift shop also allows you to interact with patrons in a different way from the rest of the museum. Usually, they are buying souvenirs; however, the rarity of these items draws many local residents regularly. One customer bought a large number of Läkerol, a Swedish brand of licorice candies, to take to her mother in California. "They help sooth her more than any cough drops or syrup. You can't find these anywhere." 
Many of the products attested to the practical and simplistic beauty of Scandinavian art. A bobèche is a glass ring at the end of a candle that is used to catch the wax as it falls. My personal favorite product, however, is the Gastromax potato and vegetable slicer, proudly made in Sweden.

These products were interesting, and certainly different, but the store was not short on fascinating history-related items. Take the runes pendants, for example. According to the card that accompanied them, the Nordic tribes of northern Europe conceived of these symbols in 200 B.C. to represent the forces of nature. Picking the right rune enabled the wearer to harness the power that the rune represented. The rune in the picture is feoh, the rune of success. This is to be used if something you desire is within your grasp.

Also on display are products boasting the talent of artist Carl Larsson, a renowned Swedish painter from the Arts and Crafts Movement in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. The Arts and Crafts Movement emphasized simplistic art, calling back to pre-industrial days. One of Larsson's most famous pieces is "Breakfast Under the Birch Tree (1886)," which includes charming, natural details, such as the two wine bottles under the tree and the initials carved into it.


   

Day 9: The Sami

The new art exhibit at the Swedish American Museum is about the Sami, a peaceful indigenous people from northern Scandinavia. The artist is Danish-American photographer Birgitte Aarestrup, who spent a significant amount of time in Sapmi, the Sami region which spans across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of Russia. In addition to the photographs, Sami artifacts and handiwork, known as duodji, were on display. I had the privilege of assisting before the opening, both with the art and the Sami artifacts. The descriptions were already printed, I only had to pair them with their object.

The artifact I found most fascinating was a needle case made out of reindeer horn. Needles are apparently very useful in Sami life, so much so that the case hangs from a person's belt. One of the leather pouches had a flap that held needles as well. 

For the photographs, a fellow intern and I measured and numbered them, then used a key to determine their prices. That way the patron only needs to say the number he or she wishes to enquire its price or purchase the piece. We had to be a bit resourceful when describing them, for the artist gave us no information as to their titles. We went through the photo book with her pieces in it and recorded the captions under the photos.