Sociology Commons^™

Between Patrons And Populace: Danish-American Sculptor Carl Rohl-Smith And The Iowa Soldiers' And Sailors' Monument In Des Moines, Aase Bak

The Bridge

Carl Rohl-Smith (1848-1900) received one of his most important commissions in America with the "Iowa Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument" (completed 1897). But his position became difficult as he had to navigate between the different interests of patrons and general public.

"A Danish artist cannot imagine the hardships that being an artist in a foreign land entails. Most of the decisions concerning art are made by the populace." Thus wrote Danish journalist Henrik Cavling (1858-1933) in his travel book Fra Amerika (From America) from 1897.1 He was talking about the Danish-American sculptor Carl Rohl-Smith and the problems he encountered when he …

Gunnar Johansen: The Gentlemanly Dane, Solon Pierce

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It is about three score and five years ago now since a certain Dane came to Dane County, Wisconsin-a decisive step, he later recounted on many occasions, "that I have never regretted." To this native Midwestern observer, it was a perfect fit. There was something homespun and authentic in the nature of the man -a sense that he was cut from the same cloth.

Christian Petersen: From Denmark To The New Deal To Campus Sculptor, Lea Rosson Delong

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Christian Petersen (1885-1961) was a Danish-American sculptor (Figure 1) whose accomplishment and importance in the history of American art is being increasingly understood and recognized.1 The first goal in this presentation is to present a small portion of his work and to discuss why his reputation is growing and, at the same time, weave in aspects of his Danish background.

Identifying Danish-American Folklife, Gregory Hansen

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Danish-American ethnicity has traditionally been studied by examining the literature, religion, social and educational institutions, and business enterprises of Danes in America. In general researchers have looked to Fine Arts and Culture to understand the Danish ethnic identity. But examining only Culture and Art yields an incomplete understanding of culture and art. Danish ethnic culture in America consists primarily of the non-elitist traditions and arts of individuals' everyday lives rather than the contributions of the elite, and the discipline of folklore can provide a more complete concept of Danish heritage. Folklife studies involve the stages of identifying, documenting, interpreting, and …

Sketches Of My Life, Karl Larsen

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There will be a Christmas greeting card on the drawing board in Danish-born artist Karl Larsen's Detroit studio this fall, just as there has been every year since 1932 when he began the tradition. But today , at age 97, his Christmas list has grown to between 400 and 500 names and it takes longer to address and stamp all the specially designed cards than it does to make the original.

Jens Kjar: From Horsens To Atlantic, Signe Nielsen Betsinger

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Of course things are coming back. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually. Prosperity always has followed depression." 1 These encouraging words were spoken by Jens Kjar in Atlantic, Iowa, over twenty-five years ago to a newspaper reporter who was as intrigued by this man as I am. Who was Jens Kjar? How did I come to know about him? And why do I write about him today?

Art? Among Danes In America?, Aase Bak

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The Danish American Heritage Society has as one of its objectives to "encourage Danish American expression in the arts, humanities, and social sciences." It is to be hoped that the Danish American Heritage Society will have more luck in its endeavors to promote the arts than did another organization with somewhat similar aims. I refer here to Dansk Folkesamfund (Danish People's Society) and the abortive attempt to launch an art committee under its auspices in 1897.