This exhibit is a first to introduce the Åland-American Haddon Sundblom to Finland’s public at large. The opening event took place Saturday, December 4. The Åland Islands Emigrant Institute was pleased that Mrs. Cody Douglas Oreck, wife of His Excellency Bruce Oreck, United States’ Ambassador to Finland, graciously agreed to open our exhibit. She arrived early in the company of the Embassy’s Press Agent who interviewed the ambassador’s wife in front of our exhibit. We gather that the content of the video was then dispatched to Washington D.C., and thus some background glimpses of our Institute’s exhibit slid with it.
Our opening event drew a surprisingly large crowd. Bertil Lindqvist, Chairman of the Board of the Åland Islands Emigrant Institute, wished everyone welcome, and introduced Mrs. Douglas Oreck, who then gave a most charming personal account on how her own childhood’s Christmases were celebrated, and how important Haddon Sundblom’s images of Santa were to her and generations of Americans. Then Eva Meyer, Director of Åland Islands Emigrant Institute presented to her guests an in-depth introduction to the exhibit. Then, Olle and Benita Strömberg, Åland Islands’ own official Santa and his Santa wife arrived with a sack of gifts, Åland’s famous black Limpa bread for the Guests of Honor. To everyone’s delight Astrid Thors, Finland’s Minister of Migration and Europe, also arrived to grace our exhibit opening. Then in the midst of the crowd Editor Timo Uotila, Finland’s Yle Radio’s broadcast programs for abroad, interviewed Maria Jarlsdotter Enckell on Haddon Sundblom’s worldwide impact.
Jan Kronholm, Cultural Editor at the paper, Nya Åland, was the initiator of the following multiplying events: first he published an article on our exhibit in his paper, which was also sent for publication in the New York based paper Norden. Then a few days later we were most fortunate to see Cultural Editor Ann-Gerd Steinby’s nearly full-page presentation of our exhibit in the daily Hufvudstadsbladet. Additionally, Eva Meyer was interviewed live on Finland’s National Swedish-language FST TV channel which was broadcast nationwide, and then made available for viewing until Tuesday 14 December.
The Åland Islands Emigrant Institute’s collection of Haddon Sundblom’s many Santa images—owned by Eva Meyer personally—is nearly complete, and consists of 32 images about 12” wide by 18” high, spanning the years from 1931 to 1966, with the very last appearing in 1972, which Sundblom did for Playboy Magazine’s Christmas cover. Additionally there are 15 other panels of images supported by their own texts, which from the early 1800s onward illustrate what historically had preceded Sundblom’s Santa images, and upon which tradition he then, at least partially, created his own.
Upcoming major project
The Åland Islands Emigrant Institute accompanied by The Honorable Britt Lundberg, Vice Head of Government, Åland Islands, attended the 4th International Conference on Russian America, which took place in Sitka, Alaska on August 18-22, 2010 (see: http:// www.2010RAC.com). At the end of this conference the Åland Islands Emigrant Institute was granted the honor to both arrange and host the 5th International Conference on Russian America. It is with pleasure the Institute is able to announce that this conference is scheduled to take place in mid August of 2012 in Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland.
Haddon Sundblom was a descendant of an Åland immigrant to the US and he is prominently featured at the Advertising Hall of Fame. Sundblom rose to national attention as a much sought after outstanding advertising designer with his own studio based in Chicago.
