Mrs Thyra Peterson´s Memorial Collection of Swedish-American Art

The exihibition displays paintings by around 20 Swedish-American artists, active during the first half of the 20th century. Subjects range from vast prairies, deep forests and stormy seas to emerging infrastructure and communities. Through the eyes of the artists, the new country is depicted, in changing seasons, lights and moods.

Charles och Thyra Peterson

Charles S. Peterson (1873–1943) was born in Filipstad in Sweden and emigrated to America when he was 15 years old. In Chicago he established himself as director of the Peterson Linotyping Co. and later also became an influential politician. In 1901 he married Thyra Hjertqvist (1881–1933), second-generation Swedish-American with roots in Växjö and Alvesta, Sweden.

The Petersons got involved in Swedish-American association life and over the years they became well-known cultural figures in Chicago. They shared a great interest in art and acted as patrons of Swedish artists who had emigrated to America. Among other things, they were a driving force behind several Swedish-American art exhibitions.

The couple also supported the artists by buying their art and over the years they built a substantial private collection. After Thyra’s death in 1933, her husband decided to donate a large part of the collection to Småland’s museum in Växjö, as a tribute to his wife and her family ties to to the area.