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Between 1905 and 1925 Eleonora and Ethel Olson were well-known figures in Scandinavian communities throughout the United States. They toured extensively in the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
, and their recordings on major record labels gained them a nationwide following.''Yust for Fun'' by Eleonora and Ethel Olson, (Minneapolis: Eggs Press, 1979).
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Norwegian-American entertainers

The Olson Sisters were versatile performers, adept at both singing and comedy. They usually worked with a piano accompanist and presented a program of vocal works, piano solos, and comic monologues. Eleonora, a contralto, was the primary vocalist, and Ethel, a soprano, joined her for duets. Their musical repertoire ranged from recital pieces and folk songs to
parlor songs A parlour (or parlor) is a reception room or public space. In medieval Christian Europe, the "outer parlour" was the room where the monks or nuns conducted business with those outside the monastery and the "inner parlour" was used for necessar ...
and gospel hymns. Eleonora and Ethel, whose parents were from
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, portrayed the immigrant's difficulty in adapting to American life. Their story ''At The Movies'' touches on homesickness for the Old Country while ''The Baseball Game'' recounts a Norwegian woman's misadventures with the national pastime. The humor in the stories rings true because the Olson Sisters knew their subject firsthand — whether it be a meeting of the ladies' aid, a piano lesson, or a scene witnessed on a train. In ''The Old Sogning Woman'' Eleonora used the dialect of her mother's birthplace. Ethel, a native of the Logan Square neighborhood in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, set her monologue ''The New Bookcase'' in a store on Milwaukee Avenue, one of the area's busiest commercial streets, while mentioning the locally published '' Skandinaven''. A magazine article from 1924 relates how Ethel drew upon an incident in real life for her sketch ''A Norwegian Woman At The Telephone'': "One day as a little girl Ethel visited an ice cream parlor. While there her attention was attracted to a woman who had been called to the telephone for the first time in her life. This experience occasioned considerable fright, and a very humorous conversation ensued. A couple of weeks later Ethel was performing before a large gathering in Orchestra Hall; being called upon for an encore, she gave the story." The same article says of Eleonora: "It is somewhat surprising that Eleonora Olson, who speaks so many different dialects of Norway, was born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and has never been abroad. Norwegians say that her enunciation and articulation are just the same as a native's. While on tour the Olson Sisters appeared in small town opera houses, civic halls, churches, and college auditoriums. In the summer, when warm weather made these facilities unusable, they performed in the big brown tents of the traveling
Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...
. Eleonora and Ethel were perennial favorites with Chautauqua's rural audiences; in 1915, for instance, they were booked for the entire summer season on the circuit. An article from that same year in ''Sanger-Hilsen'' comments on their popularity: "Among the many troupes that visit us out here in the West, Eleonora Olson's takes a leading place. While the others cease operation after one or two seasons, these three ladies return invariably year after year, and one new city after the other is added to their tour. And this is as it should be; for they bring with them much ''joie de vivre''." The article praises the musical talent of the sisters and their accompanist, and of Ethel it says: "Her Norwegian dialect stories can make even the most stiff-necked pessimist crumple with laughter." The Olson Sisters had many important friends. Among them were the painter Herbjørn Gausta, U.S. Senator
Henrik Shipstead Henrik Shipstead (January 8, 1881June 26, 1960) was Norwegian-American dentist and politician who served in the United States Senate from 1923 to 1947, representing the state of Minnesota. He served first as a member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor ...
and his wife and such leading families of the church as the Preuses, the Stubs, and the Korens. Their friend, singer Annette Yde Lake, was the mother of actress
Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920s ...
. After a performance on the road Eleonora and Ethel were often the overnight guests of prominent local citizens.


Musical roots

Eleonora and Ethel came from a musical family. Their brother, Jacob Alexander Bing, sang for many years with light opera companies. Their mother, Johanna, also had a fine singing voice, and the ''Minneapolis Daglig Tidende'' credited her with having instilled a love of music in her children. A witty and charming person, Johanna undoubtedly contributed to her daughters' sense of humor as well. Eleonora Olson (1870-1946) had been performing for several years before starting her own company in 1909. The Eleonora Olson Concert Trio consisted of Eleonora, Ethel and their piano accompanist Alice R. Walden. Although she had been a child prodigy, Eleonora did not become a full-time professional singer until in her thirties. She attended
Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicag ...
for two years, but a lack of funds prevented her from continuing her musical training. A 1902 article in the St. Paul newspaper ''Nordvesten'' says this about Eleonora: "That she can sing what she sings, in the manner which she does, with only those opportunities she has had, is the best proof of her more than usual gifts . . . Until now she has unfortunately had to give up the thought of devoting herself completely to her art . . . She herself says that she has had to struggle for everything she has become." In 1905 Eleonora joined the Skovgaard Concert Company, and for the next twenty years she actively pursued a musical career. She was frequently a guest soloist with choirs, glee clubs, and choruses and sang both sacred and secular music. Ethel (1885-1943) also showed early promise and started her career as a reader (actress) at the age of five. She was an accomplished pianist and won a number of musical scholarships. As an adult, however, her greatest acclaim was as a comedian.


Luther concert a grand success (excerpt)

"The benefit concert for Luther hospital held last night at Fournier’s Academy was without exaggeration one of the most delightful and enjoyable entertainments ever given in this city. There was an immense attendance, the largest probably ever held in that hall. Nine hundred tickets were sold and it looked as if the purchasers were all present. Every seat on the floor was filled, also the gallery and even the stairways. Miss Eleonora Olson then ascended the platform and gave a vocal solo in magnificent style accompanied by Mrs. William Danforth. Miss Olson is a stately lady with a fine presence. She has a strong, brilliant mezzo soprano voice with a quality of freshness in it which greatly enhances the charm of her singing. Her vocal methods are most artistic. Her voice has the rare combination of richness and brilliance. It is a voice of wide range and even development, and her delivery is excellent. She sings with intelligence, grasping the meaning and the spirit of the song and expressing it with spontaneity. She well deserved the storming applause that followed her solo and gracefully acceded to the loud demand for an encore. Miss Ethel Olson followed in her clever and wonderful impersonation. No mere words can do justice to this charming and talented lady and the pen can only exhaust itself in superlatives. Miss Olson is an artist in her line of work. She is the most clever and remarkable impersonator that ever appeared before an Eau Claire audience. She made a tremendous hit. Encore followed encore. The people applauded as if she had just come down from the heavenly choir. She possesses a rich dramatic voice and a charming personality. She exceeds all other impersonators that ever appeared here just as the brilliancy of the sun exceeds the twinkling of the stars." :— ''Eau Claire Leader'' May 14, 1908


Recording artists

For nearly two decades the Olson Sisters entertained
Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...
and
Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...
audiences with a combination of music and comedy. Although their material included Norwegian songs and stories, their programs were typically aimed at mainstream audiences. Ethel might, for instance, sing ''Home, Sweet Home'' or recite ''An Old Sweetheart Of Mine'' by
James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...
. Things changed when Eleonora and Ethel began making records. On Victor, Edison, Brunswick and
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
they were marketed as Norwegian-American artists and their comic monologues emphasized. Between 1918 and 1923 the sisters recorded fifteen sides as vocalists and thirty-five sides as speakers. Many titles appeared on more than one record label. ''The Old Sogning Woman'' and ''Mabel's Wedding'' were each released as two sides of a 78 rpm disc. In 1920 Ethel Olson recorded two monologues for
Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important and successful company in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by ...
that were paired with stories by the famed humorist
Cal Stewart Cal Stewart (b. 1856 Charlotte County, Virginia, d. December 7, 1919) was an American comedian and humorist who pioneered in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played "Uncle Josh W ...
. ''The Chautauqua At Punkin Center'' by Stewart was backed by Ethel's ''Laughing Girl Has Her Picture Took''. ''Uncle Josh And The Sailor'' by Stewart was backed by Ethel's ''The Larson Kids Go Bathing''. Eleonora Olson recorded Norwegian versions of three popular hymns for Victor: ''Bliv Hos Mig, Mester'' (
Abide With Me "Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte (1793–1847). A prayer for God to stay with the speaker throughout life and in death, it was written by Lyte in 1847 as he was dying from tuberculosis. It is m ...
), ''Jeg Trænger Dig Hver Stund'' (I Need Thee Every Hour) and ''Engang Min Livstraad Briste Skal'' (Saved By Grace).


Later years

Eleonora and Ethel Olson were originally from
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, but by the 1920s they and their mother were living in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. They stopped touring in 1923 when Ethel married Dr. Reuben M. Pederson. In 1925 the Olson Sisters published a collection of their Norwegian dialect stories called ''Yust for Fun''. A second edition was printed in 1929. The book had two illustrations that appear to be the work of their friend Herbjørn Gausta.''Herbjørn Gausta: Norwegian-American painter'' (Nelson, Marion J. Americana Norvegica, Vol III, Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. 1971). ''Yust for Fun'' was republished in 1979 with a new introduction, photographs and biographical information. Papers including news clippings and published items, programs, recording agreements and photographs of Eleonora and Ethel Olson are available for research at The Minnesota Historical Society.Olson Sisters Papers
''mnhs.org''. Retrieved: July 26, 2011.
The MHS Library has the 1925, 1929 and 1979 editions of ''Yust for Fun'' as well as nine 78 rpm discs recorded by the Olson Sisters. A review of the 1979 edition of ''Yust for Fun'' appeared in the Spring 1980 issue of ''Minnesota History'' magazine.


The Snoose Boulevard Festival

The Snoose Boulevard Festival was held in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
from 1972 through 1977. The event, which celebrated the area’s Scandinavian past, also highlighted the careers of Olle i Skratthult (
Hjalmar Peterson Hjalmar Peterson (7 February 1886 – 24 June 1960) was a singer and comedian from Sweden, who achieved great popularity during the 1910s and 1920s. His stage name was Olle i Skratthult (Olle from Laughtersville). Life Career Hjalmar Pete ...
), Slim Jim and the Vagabond Kid ( Ernest and Clarence Iverson) and the Olson Sisters.


See also

* Scandinavian dialect humor


References


External links


''A Passion for Polka''
at the
University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
.
The Olson Sisters
at the Norwegian American Folk Music Portal.
The Olson Sisters advertisements and articlesEleonora Olson
on
Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer, incorporated in 1901. Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became ...

Ethel Olson
on
Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer, incorporated in 1901. Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became ...

Eleonora Olson
at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Ethel Olson
at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Eleonora Olson
at
Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavu ...

Ethel Olson
at
Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavu ...

Eleonora Olson 1900Ethel Olson 1910Olson Concert ProgramsThe Olson Sisters 1902 - 1933Olson Sisters Norwegian SongbookSkovgaard articles and advertisementsSongs and stories recorded by the Olson Sisters

Songs performed by the Olson Sisters in concert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Eleonora and Ethel American comedy musical groups Norwegian comedy musicians American people of Norwegian descent American women comedians Brunswick Records artists Columbia Records artists Musicians from Chicago Musicians from Minneapolis Victor Records artists Comedians from Chicago