Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Dortheim, tapestries, old and new Norwegian patterns and designs by Gerhard Munthe. Cost of exhibit, $10,000; transportation, $35.

Sweden's participation at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was authorized by the following decree addressed by King Oscar, of Sweden and Norway, to A.R. Akerman, director-general and president of the board of trade, which decree appointed Mr. Akerman commissioner-general to the exposition. The decree gives fully an account of the Swedish participation and was as follows:

Greetings, etc.

Since the President of the United States has invited the governments of other states, including Sweden, to participate in a Universal Exposition in St. Louis, originally intended to be held in 1903, but now being decided to be open during the period from May 1 to December 1, 1904, and we, through gracious proposition, of which a copy is herewith attached, suggested to the Riksdag to appropriate, on an extra budget for 1904, an amount of 120,000 kronor for Sweden's participation in the art and educational exhibits of the exposition has the Riksdag in a communication of May 22, 1903, with reference to the arrangements of expenses of the State budget, eighth section, communicated the following:

The Riksdag had considered the advisability that Sweden be officially represented at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis 1904, especially as this could be supposed as being in line with the desire of the Swedes residing in the United States and serving to strengthen the ties that still unite them with their Fatherland, and in accordance with the expression of the chief of our ecclesiastic department in the minutes of our ministry had the Riksdag embraced the opinion that the official participation of Sweden should embrace the departments of art and education, in which sections our country seems to have especially good possibilities successfully to compete with the greater countries of culture.

In a letter to the Academy of Fine Arts, incorporated in the minutes of our ministry, the three societies of artists had expressed the desire that from the collections of art belonging to the State works of art should be contributed that might be required in order that the exposition in question should give a complete illustration of the development of art in our country. In consequence of this, the Riksdag had considered it necessary to point out the fact that as it has occurred that works of art contributed from the collection of the States to be exhibited at other places at the return of the same were more or less damaged, and that as in consequence of the transport that would be necessary in this case absolute guarantee for the restitution of these works of art in an undamaged condition could hardly be had, doubts seemed to meet as to such a contribution as had been suggested by the societies of artists.

Calling attention to what has just been pointed out, the Riksdag stated that the Riksdag, with consent to our proposition in question regarding the participation of Sweden in the art and educational departments of the Universal Exposition in St. Louis 1904, had appropriated on an extra budget for the year 1904 the sum of 120,000 kronor.

Having had this presented before us, we have, accepting on Sweden's behalf the above-mentioned invitation as far as concerns the art and the educational departments of the exposition, resolved to appoint a committee, who is hereby empowered to take all measures necessary for the participation of Sweden in these departments of the exposition and to transact all business belonging to the same which is not of a nature to be submitted to our gracious consideration; and we have appointed you as president of the committee and as members of the same selected the principal of the technical school of Stockholm, Bror Viktor Adler; the inspector of the common schools at Stockholm, Carl Gustaf Bergman; the vice-general consul, Bror Axel Fredrik Georgii; the assistant professor at Ostermalms public secondary school, Stockholm, Nols Gerhard, Eilhelm Lagerstedt, and the superintendent of the art section of the National Museum, Carl Ludvig Looström.

We, intending to appoint in the future, on the recommendation of the committee, a commissioner for Sweden at the exposition, herewith empower the committee to appoint a secretary and necessary assistants and in as far as it is found necessary to secure the cooperation of persons whose insight and ability can secure for Sweden a successful and honorable representation at the exposition.

Finally, we authorize the committee to collect after the beginning of 1904, at our exchequer department, the above-mentioned amount appropriated by the Riksdag to be used as demands require for the purpose intended, with the obligation to account for same and with the understanding that the committee assumes the responsibility that this amount under no circumstances is exceeded; and we have ordered the exchequer department to pay from moneys on hand in advance, on requisition and to be deducted from the mentioned appropriation, what is necessary to carry on the work of the committee during the year 1903, not exceeding an amount of 20,000 kronor. Which we herewith communicate for your knowledge and abeyance as far as you are concerned, at the same time as a gracious letter is sent to the exchequer department.