A Dying Norway – in a Living America? Exhibition

This exhibit of documentary photographs by Lars Idar Waage is a portrait of Stavanger, Illinois, by someone from 6,000 miles away in Stavanger, Norway. The tiny town of Stavanger, Illinois, in LaSalle County, is the location of the first permanent settlement of Norwegian immigrants in the United States, including some of those who sailed on the Restauration. This ship brought the first organized group of emigrants from Stavanger, Norway, in 1825. Through these images, Waage shares how Norwegian identity and traditions are expressed in the Fox River Valley of Illinois. Lars Idar Waage will give a presentation on Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m. in the Vesterheim Commons. Find out more about this presentation here. This exhibit is made possible by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from William and Kathi Wild.