Fairmount Park, Thorfinn Karlsefni: Thorfinn Karlsefni sculpture

Item — Drawer: 4-1, Box: 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection contains approximately 200 postcards from 1875 and 2001, though most of the postcards are from 1885 and 1915. A majority of the postcards depict Fairmount Park sites, although two Virginia and one New Hampshire postcard are included in the collection.

Of particular note are the postcards in Series I: Centennial Exposition. The postcards in this series were created in 1875 and each depicts a building from the Centennial Exposition of 1876.

Dates

c. 1900 - 1994
Majority of material found within 1905-1914

Extent

From the Collection: .5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Physical Description

Recto: Postcard image focusing on the shield of the Thorfinn Karlsefni sculpture, with the head and body of the sculpture mostly obscured from view. The background of the image is a blue sky with few clouds.

Verso: The verse on Karlsefni's shield is a tribute to Iceland: 'From the island of the North, of ice and snow / of blossoming valleys and blue mountains / Of the midnight sun and the dreamy mists, / The home of the goddess of the northern lights.' ---Translated from the runes by A. Johnson, 1918

Einar Jonsson (1874-1954) Thorfinn Karlsefni (c. 1918), rear detail; Bronze, on granite base; Height 7'4" (base 5'7") Kelly Drive, north of Boat House Row, Philadelphia, PA; Commissioned by J. Bunford Samuel with the Fairmount Park Art Association; Photograph: Wayne Cozzolino copyright 1998