Scope and Contents: This collection contains photographs, theatre performance programs, dinner programs, art exhibition catalogs, and limited correspondence related to the Chicago Norske Club, a Norwegian-American cultural and social organization (1911 to 1971).
The Chicago Norske Klub was founded in 1911 through the merger of two prior organizations which had dated to 1890, the Norwegian Club in Chicago (Den Norske Klub i Chicago) and the Norwegian Quartet Club (Den Norske Kvartet Klub). Its membership consisted largely of businessmen and professionals including a number of graduates of Norwegian technical schools. Programs were aimed at sociability and fellowship. The Chicago Norske Klub established premises near Logan Square and Kedzie Avenue through financing arranged by the State Bank of Chicago and through the initiative of Birger Osland, a Chicago investment banker. The club closed in 1971. Some furnishings and paintings from the club are in Vesterheim Museum's collection.