“Dining with Friends: A History of Swedish-American Commemorations” presentation by Adam Hjorthén
SAHS 75th Anniversary Dinner
Friday, October 20, 2023
Old Orchard Country Club (Prospect Heights, IL)
“Dining with Friends: A History of Swedish-American Commemorations” will be the keynote presentation given by Adam Hjorthén at the Society’s 75th anniversary dinner celebration.
On June 5, 1948, hundreds of Swedish Americans gathered for a festive banquet in the Grand Ballroom of the Palmer House in downtown Chicago. Enjoying a meal of broiled filet mignon, with “Illuminated Bombe Cardinale Suédoise” for dessert, the attendees celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the arrival of Swedish settlers to the Midwest. It was an invitation-only event in the month-long program of the Swedish Pioneer Centennial, an international celebration that laid the groundwork for what today is the Swedish-American Historical Society.
The nature of Swedish American commemorations has changed across history. It has featured the erection of monuments and the staging of grand public festivals, but also smaller acts of commemoration whose significance is often overlooked – including that of luncheons and banquets. Commemorative dinners have been sites for the nurturing of friendships. Taking stock of the changes in memorial culture from the 19th century to today, this talk explores the sustained significance of such fleeting events.
Commemorations are always about remembering the past, for present purposes, with visions of the future. As the talk looks to the history of Swedish American commemorations, it also speaks to the 75th Anniversary theme, raising questions of what pasts that we honor, and what futures we envision.