This scrapbook includes photographs and archival material and handmade invitations related to the Concordia Society, a benevolent women's society organized October 17, 1901, at the Swedish Hospital of Minneapolis. The Concordia Society was primarily dedicated to providing free beds and other services to persons in need of medical care. The Swedish Hospital was run by and for Swedish immigrants.
This scrapbook includes photographs and archival material related to the Concordia Society of the Swedish Hospital. This book received the 1974 award of the Minnesota Hospital Association for the Best Historical Book of the Year. The Concordia Society was a benevolent women's society organized October 17, 1901, at the Swedish Hospital of Minneapolis. The Concordia Society was primarily dedicated to providing free beds and other services to persons in need of medical care. The Swedish Hospital was run by and for Swedish immigrants.
Photos in this album record the work and social settings at the Saint Peter State Hospital from 1915 to 1930. Included in the 29 pages of photos are group shots of employees, the men's sick room on the third floor of the original building (page 6), and musicians with their instruments (page 11). Among many other activities, employees play football (page 15) and walk the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks that passed through the hospital grounds (page 28). Photos feature some of the original buildings at the hospital including sick wards (page 17), the operating room on the fourth floor (page 19), and Liberty Hall (page 29). August Palmer is shown in the lower right photo on page 20. Palmer worked at the hospital for 54 years. The last 17 pages of this album contain postcards of the Saint Peter State Hospital (page 33, page 35), and of the towns of St. Peter (page 37, page 38), which include the buildings of Gustavus Adolphus College (page 44), Winnebago (page 32, page 34, page 37, page 38, page 40) Lakefield (page 32, page 36, page 39), Wells (page 40) and Lake City (page 42, page 43, page 45), Minnesota, and cities from across the country. Lake Pepin is shown on page 45.
This album features 69 pages of photographs taken from 1915 to 1930 at the Saint Peter State Hospital, in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The photos capture the work and social life of the employees at the hospital. They also show the exterior and interior of the original hospital building (page 15, page 24), and facilities such as Liberty Hall (page 30), the blacksmith shop (page 48), the operating room (page 65, page 67), the Tubercular building (page 71) and the kitchen (page 59). Nurses watch the administration of anesthetic (page 21). The dining hall and other rooms are decorated for Christmas celebrations (page 22, page 28). Many of the nurses featured were from the class of 1915. Several images also show the surrounding area, including the railroad bridge that crossed the Mississippi River near the hospital (page 50, page 69). August Palmer, who worked at the hospital for 54 years, is featured on page 6.
This album features 76 pages of photographs taken in the 1920s of the work and social life at the Saint Peter State Hospital, in Saint Peter, Minnesota. For example, nurses work in the women's sick room on the second floor of the original hospital building (page 7), the men's sick room on the third floor (page 42), and in the hospital library (page 9). Staff members administer anesthetic to patients (page 16, page 50). Other facilities include a shoe repair shop and steward's office (page 38), laundry building (page 30), diet kitchen (page 32), gymnasium (page 32), and the South Detached Ward for women patients (page 65). August Palmer, who worked at the hospital for 54 years, is the man on the right at a large desk on page 21 and on page 26 and is the third man from the left in the upper left photo on page 42.
Large black and white portrait of the original Concordia Society board. The photograph features sixteen finely dressed women posed in three rows. None of the women are identified.
This picture of the Executive Committee of the Concordia Society of the Swedish Hospital. There are 19 women. The women are identified on the back of the frame. Front Row (left to right): Mrs. G.H. Trabert, wife of Dr. T., Mrs. A Malmsten, Mrs. Hawkins, Mrs. O. Nestor, Mrs. A.F. Elmquist, Mrs. F.O. Streed. Second Row: Mrs. Olof Bodien, Mrs. J.K. Elianson, Mrs. A Gustafson, Mrs. Frank Peterson, Mrs. Ida S. Dearborn, Mrs. P.P. Quist. Third Row: Mrs. S.A. Peterson, Mrs. Swan Klarquist, Mrs. A.J. Soderlind, Mrs. F.E. Moody, Mrs. Elise Anderson, Mrs. August Ekman, Mrs. E. Aug. Skogsberg.
The interns' dining room at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. A serving girl is posed behind one of the chairs. There is a silver bell at the head of the table to allow the diners to ring for service during the meal. The profusion of candles on the sideboard indicates that the interns were not frequently allowed to use the gas chandelier hanging above the table.
The medical and nursing staff of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis are posed in front of their horse drawn ambulance. The nurses on each end wearing striped blouses are nursing students. It was common during this era for nursing students to supply the bulk of nursing care in hospitals.
A classroom at The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis that features a "patient" resting in a hospital bed in the front corner of the room.
A nursing student at St. Barnabas Hospital is putting away her uniform in her room at the Wellesmere Nurses Residence in Minneapolis. Nurses were required to have freshly ironed and starched uniforms for every shift.
Large group of student nurses leaving The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis at the end of a shift. A portion of one of the nursing school's dormitories is visible at the right hand side of the photograph.
Exterior view of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. The building was built in 1901. The unappealing exterior is in stark contrast to the hospital's modern and luxurious interior, which featured comfortable furniture and fine architectural detailing. The lace curtains hung in the patients' rooms are visible in this photograph if you look closely.
The nurses' dining room at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. Nursing students, identified by the checked blouse under their apron, were seated six to a table. Nursing faculty, wearing all white uniforms, were seated at tables for two to four.
An aerial view of the garden at Elliot Park in downtown Minneapolis as seen from the upper floors of The Swedish Hospital. A decade earlier this park was still pasture land at the Elliot Farm.
A public operation at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. The men and women on the floor of the operating room are hospital physicians and nurses. The watchful crowd in the balcony is most likely composed of hospital benefactors and community dignitaries. It was not uncommon for hospitals to perform exposition surgeries when the surgeon was famed for successfully completing a new or difficult procedure or when the surgical case was unusual. A portion of this photograph around the patient has been purposely obscured by the photographer, but judging by the small size of the leg being held by one of the attending physicians it is likely this operation is being performed on a child.
Large sitting room in the nurses' home of The Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. The nurses would have come to this large room to write letters, socialize and read.
Large group of students from The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis are pictured during their operating room rotation. The second nurse from the right is most likely holding iodine to use as a disinfectant.
A nurse at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis is pictured laying a newborn infant down on a changing table in the hospital nursery. Notice the large pile of cloth diapers behind the baby. The nurse is even wearing a mask to change the diaper -- perhaps a wise decision!
Small diet kitchen located on the second floor of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. A patient's tray is resting on the table. Patients were served with an elegant assortment of china and silver.
This coal furnace at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis featured two Detroit multiple retort underfeed stokers with two 300 horsepower boilers manufactured by Brothers Weatherbee.
Combination formal dining room and front parlor located in one of the dormitories at The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis. Several student nurses are gathered around the piano for entertainment prior to the beginning of the meal.
Street view of the Pavilion Building of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. A nursing student is relaxing on the front porch. The building was constructed in 1906 and later became the Wellesmere Nursing Residence for The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing.
The reception room in the B Building of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. Friends and family of hospital patients would have waited here to meet with physicians and medical staff. The marble table, fresh flowers in the crystal vase and carved furnishings are elegant features of the room.
Exterior view of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. It may appear to be three buildings, but the three separate areas are different wings of the hospital connected by a main corridor. Notice the stained glass window on the bottom level of the first wing. This was most likely a window in a public reception room. Carriage posts line the street in front of the hospital.
Exterior view of a nurses' dormitory for The Swedish Hospital located on the corner of Tenth Avenue South and Seventh Street in Minneapolis. This dormitory was formerly a hospital building. Notice the words "The Swedish Hospital" on top of the building.
Approximately 40 students listening to an anatomy lecture delivered by Dr. Andrew Soderlind at The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis. Two nursing instructors are seated at the front of the classroom.
Photograph of a student from St. Barnabas Hospital School of Nursing (left) receiving instructions from a supervising nurse at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. The conversation pictured occurred on one of the hospital's large, sunny porches. Ample sunshine and fresh air was a staple of medical care during this time period.
The garden courtyard on the north side of The Swedish Hospital's B Building featured a small sunken pool and several flower beds. The nurses' residence is visible beyond the courtyard wall.
Exterior view of two buildings used by St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. The large home on the left was eventually used as a nurses' residence when a larger, more modern hospital was constructed.
Student nurses dining in the B Building of The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. Each table sat approximately 18 nurses. Meals were served family style. Nursing and medical staff can be seen dining in the alcove area of the adjoining room.
A registered nurse at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis is pictured working in the hospital laboratory. The nurse's diploma is proudly displayed on the wall above the light fixture.
Nurse Amanda Porter (left) is receiving instructions from The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing superintendent Ida C.L. Isaacson (right). The lush furnishings of the superintendent's office in addition to her non-nursing uniform wardrobe indicate the power of her position at the School.
The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing class of 1941 student Eileen Larson Johnson scrubbing in for an operation in scrub room C-D at The Swedish Hospital. Notice the cotton surgical mask that covers her face and wraps over her entire head.
Surgery Room B at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. The large window would have allowed an ample supply of natural light to illuminate the room during a surgery.
Photograph of a busy laboratory scene at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. Two physicians discuss results while three nurses perform other laboratory tests. This photo was most likely taken as a public relations photo for the hospital. An inscription on the back of the photo reads, ""The laboratories -- experienced technicians, modern equipment for your protection.
Nursery on Floor 4A at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. Notice the small portable heat lamp and thermometer attached to the long crib against the wall.
The staff physician's dining room at The Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. The linen tablecloth, fresh flowers and crystal on the sideboard were special features not seen in the nurses' dining room.
Exterior view of a nurses' dormitory at The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in downtown Minneapolis. All nursing students were required to live in the dorm and adhere to a strict code of conduct. Notice the cobblestone street in front of the dormitory.
Photograph of the Swedish Hospital physician Dr. Charles Drake and his nurse assistant at work in the hospital's laboratory. An open window is just visible on the right hand side of the photograph. This window would have supplied much needed natural light and ventilation to the laboratory.
A group of three Swedish Hospital School of Nursing students in Minneapolis are shown gathering the necessary supplies and medicines for an operation at the hospital.
Two nurses from The Swedish Hospital are shown pushing two adolescent males in a wheelchair through Elliot Park, which was located across the street from the hospital in downtown Minneapolis. Fresh air and sunshine were believed to be a beneficial healing component for many illnesses at this time, most notably tuberculosis.
Light hearted informal snapshot of a group of nursing students from The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing relaxing in a dorm room during a rare moment of free time.
Hallway in the Old Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. Following the construction of a new hospital, this building became the Alpha Dormitory for The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing.
Nurses Eleanor Fundberg (standing) and Signe Lindstrom (sitting), both members of The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing class of 1902, are delivering medicines to patients at The Swedish Hospital on floor 3A.
Formal front entrance to the nurses' dormitory at The Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. In the early twentieth century, nursing students lived on the hospital grounds. The parlor seen in the photograph would have been reserved for leisure time and entertaining special guests.
Two student nurses prepare trays for patients at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis while two nurses supervise their activities. The student nurse in the background is busy loading trays onto a dolly system that will transport the meals to smaller diet kitchens on each floor for distribution to patients.
Exterior view of St. Barnabas Hospital in downtown Minneapolis. This photograph is pasted in a scrapbook prepared by a member of the St. Barnabas Hospital School of Nursing class of 1912. A photograph of the student is visible in the upper right hand corner.
Surgery Room A at The Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis. In contrast to earlier surgical suites, this room does not have a viewing balcony for medical students and nursing staff.
Side view of the Vandenburgh Nurses Residence at The Swedish Hospital just prior to its demolition in the 1960s. This home was in near continuous use by the hospital beginning in the early twentieth century.
An operation at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis during the early twentieth century. The nurse at the head of the patient, The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing class of 1902 graduate Elsie Nelson, is administering anesthesia.
This large Victorian home served as the maid's residence for The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. Notice the proximity of the servant quarters to the hospital itself.
Street view of the B Building at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. The photograph was taken from the present corner of Eighth Street and Tenth Avenue. Modern Elliot Park is still Elliot Farm. The barb wire fence at the edge of the farm's pasture is visible in the photograph.
A student from The Swedish Hospital School of Nursing is shown applying drops of ether to induce anesthesia during an operation at the hospital. Administering ether to a patient was a delicate art -- too much ether could be fatal.
A wheelchair bound pediatric patient is shown "taking the air" at The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis. Fresh air and sunshine were believed to be a beneficial healing component for many illnesses at this time, most notably tuberculosis.
The sun porch in the Farr Pavilion at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. A student nurse attends to a pediatric patient in the far corner. The plants and ample sunlight coupled with fresh air were believed to be health inducing.
Side view of the original Swedish Hospital building in Minneapolis. The ambulance entrance on the right hand side is constructed for carriages. This building was replaced with a larger, more modern building in the late 1920s.
Main kitchen at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. A handwritten note on the back of the photograph gives the following description: The steam table is close to the table on which the trays are set. The lift serves four floors. Directly above the main Diet Kitchen are the four small floor diet kitchens where trays are received and taken at once to the patients. The lifts are hydraulic and steam heated. Except in extremely hot weather ice cream may be served on the tray without melting. On the four floors eighty patients are served in fifteen or twenty minutes.
Exterior photograph of a large Victorian home that served as a nurses' residence for The Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis for much of the twentieth century.
Exterior view of Mount Sinai Hospital on a winter day soon after it was built. Mount Sinai Hospital was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the 1950s to address the discrimination Jewish doctors experienced admitting Jewish patients to local hospitals.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Exterior view of Northfield Hospital. Card is postmarked May 1944 and is from Hazel Ramsay, Assistant Professor of History at Carleton College 1943-44.