Vesterheim Blog

A Dying Norway – in a Living America?
Video Presentation with Lars Idar Waage

Norwegian photographer Lars Idar Waage gave a presentation at Vesterheim for the opening of his exhibit, A Dying Norway – in a Living America? The documentary photographs in the exhibit are 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, Lars shares how Norwegian identity and traditions are expressed in the Fox River Valley of Illinois. 

This exhibit was made possible by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from William and Kathi Wild. 

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Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the first organized emigration of Norwegians to the United States with Vesterheim in 2025! The single-masted sloop, Restauration, left Stavanger on July 4, 1825, with 52 people on board and landed in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825.

Vesterheim joins Crossings, a group of Norwegian-American organizations, to commemorate this anniversary with programming inspired by the strong connections between the people of Norway and the United States. Whether you have Norwegian roots or an interest in Scandinavian traditions, we invite you to join Vesterheim’s special programs, exhibitions, and classes to share the history and traditions of Norwegian Americans.