Hjalmar Peterson
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Hjalmar Peterson (7 February 1886 – 24 June 1960) was a singer and comedian from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, who achieved great popularity during the 1910s and 1920s. His stage name was Olle i Skratthult (Olle from Laughtersville).


Life


Career

Hjalmar Peterson was born in Munkfors, Värmland. After emigrating to the United States in 1906 and living in Willmar, Minnesota, for many years, he eventually settled 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 ...
. At first Peterson worked as a bricklayer in the new country, but before long he embarked on a career as a professional entertainer. In that role he returned to Sweden in 1909 and during a six-month tour gathered the songs, stories and jokes he would later use on stage in America. Back in America Peterson adopted the persona of Olle i Skratthult and began performing on the Scandinavian-language
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
circuit. Olle was a ''bondkomiker'' (peasant comic), and he dressed the part with a blacked-out tooth and straw-colored wig. By 1916 he had a touring group, and the following year he married the company's leading lady, Olga Lindgren.''Ethnic theatre in the United States'' edited by Maxine Schwartz Seller, (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1983) pp. 491-524. Olle i Skratthult was a full-time entertainer for most of his adult life and for many years was the most famous performer in Scandinavian
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
. During the 1920s he toured the country with a large band and was enthusiastically greeted by both ethnic and mainstream audiences. His touring company also had several actors. An evening's entertainment often began with a short play and ended with a public dance. Olle was generally not in the featured work but appeared between acts in olios, during which he told far-fetched stories and sang diverting songs. A full-length theatrical evening was rare unless it was F. A. Dahlgren's musical drama ''Värmlänningarna'' (The people of
Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...
).


A phenomenon

"Last night I decided to try to gain entrance to Tuckerman Hall, and since I did not arrive until 8 o'clock, I would not have been able to get in if it had not been for my press pass. I lost two buttons on my overcoat in the melee, but that did not matter, as long as I finally got a seat — that is I had to be satisfied with standing room in the rear. And, I did something I had never done before, and never expect to do again — unless I go to an "Olle-show" — that is I stood on my two tired feet over two hours — and enjoyed myself. There is a lot of complaining to be heard from theatrical people, to the effect that revenue is falling off and that the radio and the phonographs keep the public at home. Well, the Swedish public at least did not stay at home that night. The hall was packed an hour before the time when it was scheduled to start, and hundreds clamored for admittance in vain. A man, who can attract crowds like that in these days, must be a phenomenon. Of course he does not do all the performing himself; he is ably assisted by his lovely wife, Olga, and by some very clever dancers, and a bunch of virtuosos, who make up the Olle i Skratthult orchestra. It is a splendid aggregation of musicians, to say the least, and I need not add that my tired feet forgot their tired feeling as soon as the first strains from the instruments were heard, and I danced with glee until the "Home, sweet home" gave the signal that the show was at an end." :: — Burt Maxwell in the Worcester Telegram (MA), reprinted in the Dayton Review (IA)


Later years

Peterson only performed in Swedish, and as the use of that language declined in
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
so too did his popularity. As the tours became smaller there were fewer musicians and actors to accompany him. At the very end there was only Olle.''Svensk-amerikanska bondkomiker Olle i Skratthult och Charlie "fun" Widdén'' by Ulf Beijbom, (The Swedish Emigrant Institute of Växjö, Sweden, 1973).
/ref> Hjalmar and Olga were divorced in 1933. He remarried, and his second marriage produced two children. Peterson stopped touring and began appearing on the radio. During the 1940s he lived in
Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is the county seat of Marquette County, Michigan, Marquette County and the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a major port known primarily for shippin ...
, where he was the proprietor of a tavern and dance hall. His entertainment career ended with the death of his wife Mora in 1949. Three years later Peterson underwent a religious conversion and joined the
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
. He became a gospel singer and once again drew large crowds, this time with a program of old favorite hymns. He died 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 ...
on June 24, 1960.


Popular recording artist

Between 1916 and 1929 Olle i Skratthult (Hjalmar Peterson) recorded 46 songs, primarily for Columbia and Victor Records. In addition, the Hjalmar Peterson Orchestra recorded 18 instrumental tracks for Victor. Some of the Victor numbers were subsequently released on the company's low-priced Bluebird label. Columbia and Victor always listed Olle under both his real name and his stage name. Some records gave Hjalmar Peterson top billing. Others gave precedence to Olle i Skratthult. Instrumentals were credited to Olle i Skratthults Luffarekapell, Hjalmar Peterson's Hobo Orchestra and to other similar names. Olle's band did not appear on the records, which were made by studio musicians in New York and
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 ...
. Among the session players were country music singer Carson Robison on guitar and Arvid Franzen on accordion. Ted Johnson, a onetime musician in Olle's company, became a bandleader in the 1930s and made several recordings with his own group. Johnson was, incidentally, the pipe-smoking fiddler in the memorable 1926 photo of the Hobo Orchestra. As a performer Olle relied on many Swedish songwriters and poets. The most important of these were Lars Bondeson, F. A. Dahlgren, Gustaf Fröding, David Hellström, Jeremias i Tröstlösa, Jödde i Göljaryd, Skånska Lasse, Anna Myrberg, Emil Norlander,
Kalle Nämdeman Kalle Nämdeman (31 December 1883 – 28 June 1945) was the stage name of Karl Gustafsson, a Swedish songwriter, performer and recording artist. Life and legacy As a young man Kalle Nämdeman apprenticed as a goldsmith, but he eventually began w ...
, Ernst Rolf, Göran Svenning and Fred Winter.''Ethnic music on records: a discography of ethnic recordings produced in the United States, 1893-1942'' by Richard K. Spottswood, (University of Illinois Press, 1990) LCCN 89-020526. Volume 5, pp. 2728-2733. Best known for his comedy, Olle also had romantic waltzes in his repertoire. He recorded, for instance, ''Malmö valsen'' (The Malmö waltz), written by Svenning and Hellström for the
Baltic Exhibition The Baltic Exhibition () was held in Malmö, Sweden from 15 May to 4 October 1914. (The official closing date, September 30, was later extended by four days, as permitted in the general rules.) A Swedish world's fair The event showcased the indust ...
of 1914. Not all of Olle's songs had Swedish roots. ''Den lustige kopparslagarn'' (The jolly coppersmith), which Olle recorded three times, was of German origin. ''Barndomshemmet'' (My childhood home), which his wife Olga performed, was an adaptation of ''On the banks of the Wabash'', the state song of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. There were other examples of American popular music in Olle's repertoire. ''Just kiss yourself good-bye'' in Swedish became ''Petters olycksaliga frieri'' (Peter's unlucky marriage proposal). '' I'm forever blowing bubbles'' was likewise ''Såpbubblor'' (Soap bubbles). ''Just kiss yourself good-bye'' was a so-called Coon song, but its racial stereotypes were absent from the Swedish version. Some of Olle's final recordings were taken from more traditional sources. In 1928 he recorded the folk song ''Jag gick mig ut en sommerdag'' (I went out one summer day). The next year he recorded the broadside ballad ''Hjalmar och Hulda'' (Hjalmar and Hulda). These sorrowful tales were a departure from his usual lighthearted fare. In addition to his records Olle i Skratthult published and sold several songbooks. The small pamphlets included songs he had recorded and other material from his live performances. His 1921 and 1922 songbooks are on file at the
Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...
. Olle i Skratthult will be forever associated with the song ''Nikolina''. He recorded it in 1917 for Columbia and in 1923 and 1929 for Victor. It is estimated that 100,000 copies of the song were sold, a remarkable feat for a foreign-language record. ''Nikolina'' is the tragicomic story of a couple, whose desire for romantic happiness is thwarted by the girl's autocratic father. The song had a great appeal for immigrant audiences, who strongly identified with the young lovers' plight. An English version, recorded by Slim Jim and the Vagabond Kid ( Ernest and Clarence Iverson), introduced the song to the rest of America. ''Nikolina'' was inducted for 2020 into the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...
of 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 ...
where songs that are "''culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant''" are selected for preservation.


Renewed interest in Olle i Skratthult

In the 1970s Olle i Skratthult was rediscovered in his native country and in the United States. The Swedish Emigrant Institute of
Växjö Växjö () is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 71,282 inhabitants (2020) out of a Municipalities of Sweden, municipal population of 97,349 (2024). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial ce ...
gave prominent mention to Olle i Skratthult and Charles G. Widdén in a 1973 exhibit on entertainment in Swedish America. A small disc was produced for the occasion with excerpts from their songs and stories. 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. In the late 19th century Cedar Avenue became known as "Snoose Boulevard", a nickname often given to the main street in Scandinavian communities. The term derived from the residents' fondness for ''snus'' (snuff), an inexpensive form of tobacco. The event, which celebrated the area's Scandinavian past, featured the music, food, and arts of the immigrants who had once lived there. It also highlighted the careers of Olle i Skratthult (Hjalmar Peterson), Slim Jim and the Vagabond Kid ( Ernest and Clarence Iverson) and the Olson Sisters ( Eleonora and Ethel Olson).


Reissues and other recordings

In conjunction with the festival the Swedish-born singer Anne-Charlotte Harvey recorded three albums of folk tunes, emigrant ballads, hymns, waltzes and comic songs. The non-profit Olle i Skratthult Project sponsored the annual celebration and the recordings. Harvey's albums, produced by the renowned ethnomusicologist Maury Bernstein, included twelve songs from Olle's repertoire. In 1976 the Olle i Skratthult Project reissued two of Olle's most popular recordings as a single: ''Nikolina'' and ''Flickan På Bellmansro''. Banjar Records, a label based in the
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
, released one song by Olle and two by his Hobo Orchestra in 1983. Olle's recordings were released in Sweden as well. The Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research had three of his songs on its album "From Sweden to America", which was released as an LP in 1981 and as a CD in 1996. Recorded in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
between 1917 and 1980, the collection had songs by Olle i Skratthult, Olga Lindgren, Gustav Fonandern, Lydia Hedberg, Ragnar Hasselgren and Anne-Charlotte Harvey. In 2011 the twenty-three tracks on the CD were released on
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and Amazon mp3. Twenty years after the first Snoose Boulevard Festival the Great American History Theatre of St.Paul paid tribute to Hjalmar Peterson with its 1992 production "Olle From Laughtersville". During the play's run a souvenir audio cassette was sold with four of Olle's recordings. The illustrator R. Crumb put out a CD in 2000 with some of his favorite vintage recordings. Olle's Hobo Orchestra not only provided one of the tunes but also appeared on the cover in a drawing by the artist.


Foreword to 1908 songbook

Swedes have had the reputation of familiarizing themselves faster than anyone else with the customs and traditions of various countries — to take them in stride. About two years ago a happy and energetic young man came to this country from the province of
Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...
. His name was Hjalmar Peterson, and he had already successfully appeared on stage in his home district under the name of "Olle i Skratthult". But little did he suspect that he would soon establish himself as America's foremost Swedish comedian, storyteller and singer. Like our great American actors and entertainers "Olle i Skratthult" now offers his songs and stories for sale, and it is to be hoped that this little book will do well since it contains many of the choice pieces with which "Olle" has had great success, written by such well-known Swedish humorists as Gustaf Fröding, F.A. Dahlgren and Jödde i Göljaryd. This book has been published to earn a little extra income and to make "Olle" more familiar to Swedish-American audiences. It is his dearest wish to devote all of his time to the theater instead of the current situation where he carries mortar one day and appears on stage the next. :Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 28, 1908. :OTTO ANDERSON. (Wanderer.) : :Anderson was a traveling correspondent for the Minneapolis newspaper ''Svenska Folkets Tidning'' between 1899 and 1911; he used the pen names Otto and Viftare (Wanderer) for his reports from various locations.''Up in the Rocky Mountains: writing the Swedish immigrant experience '' by Jennifer Eastman Attebery, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007) p. 178.
/ref>


Tall tales in 1921 songbook

:Cat's Eye ''Olle i Skratthults Nya Visor och Historier'', (Willmar: Hjalmar Peterson, 1921). My brother, you know, he got a little sick. And so I took him to the doctor. The doctor he said there was something wrong with my brother's eye. So the doctor he took out my brother's eye and put it in a bowl that was sitting on the table. But then something awful happened. The doctor's big cat was in the room too, and she saw my brother's eye lying in that bowl. And the cat — she went and swallowed up the eye of my brother. And I didn't want to say anything, of course, when the doctor didn't say anything. But no sooner had it happened than the doctor turned and saw the empty bowl. And then he said, Where has your brother's eye gone? And then I said, Well, and I laughed and said, the cat swallowed it. But then the doctor got furious and took the cat by the rump and threw her against the wall, and all at once she was as dead as a doornail. Then the doctor took out the cat's eye and put it in my brother, and he was fine and could see fine with the cat's eye. But one time a little later on I was on the front steps at home when the doctor came by. And he said, How's your brother doing? Oh, thank you, Mister Doctor, I said, everything's just fine. He sees real good with that cat's eye. But the worst thing is that now he watches the girls with the one eye, and he watches the rat holes with the other. : :First We Ate Up The Cow Well, the other day when I was out walking, I met my cousin Josef from Muck Meadow. I couldn't understand what was wrong, why he wasn't working, 'cause he'd been working for several years for that big farmer over at Sweet Ridge, so I asked him if he wasn't working there anymore. No, he said, I quit, he said. Really? You quit? I said. Yes, he said, I quit, he said. Oh, I said, but why did you quit? I said. Well, he said, the food got so bad, he said. Really, I said, the food got so bad? I said. Yes, he said, the food got so bad, he said, so I had to quit, he said. You see, he said, first the big cow died, he said, and then we had to eat her up, he said; and then all of a sudden the big sow died, and then we had to eat her up, he said. But, he said, finally the farmer's wife died, he said, and — that's when I quit! he said.


References


External links


Olle i Skratthult
at the MNHS
Olle i Skratthult company on tour
at the ASI
Olle i Skratthult in Historic American NewspapersThe Voice of the Victor - April 1924Hjalmar Peterson - Columbia and Victor discographyHjalmar Peterson audio at the Library of Congress

Hjalmar Peterson audio at the Internet Archive

Olle i Skratthult songbook 2014Peterson articles and advertisements 1907 - 1924Peterson articles and advertisements 1908 - 1929Peterson articles and advertisements 1920 - 19302008 Olle i Skratthult documentaryHjalmar Peterson recordingsHjalmar Peterson Orchestra recordings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Hjalmar 1886 births 1960 deaths 20th-century American comedians American comedy musicians Swedish comedy musicians Columbia Records artists People from Munkfors Municipality Swedish emigrants to the United States American vaudeville performers Swedish vaudeville performers Victor Records artists