Danish Children Growing Up American

When European immigrants flocked to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s they brought with them remnants of the countries they left behind. This cultural baggage was anything but a burden for new immigrants who used it to form the backbone of communities and organizations that have continued to thrive over the years.

One great example of this phenomenon is the Danish community that arrived during the age of the immigrant and rooted itself in farming communities across the Midwest and Western United States. These folks were dead set on both assimilating to American culture and passing along their heritage to their children.

If the photos in the Danish Children Growing Up American exhibit are any indication, they definitely achieved their goal.

Danish Children...is the work of the Danish America Archive and Library (DAAL), which is based in Blair, Nebraska, and it is a wonderful depiction of the immigrant experience.

With a focus on the children they brought along and had once they arrived, the exhibit takes visitors through all aspects of Danish-American life. This includes everything from the children's religious life to the toys they played with, and a rather interesting section on the Danes' love affair with the American automobile.

Whether you're of Danish ancestry, or just want to take a trip back through time, Danish Children...is an exhibit you won't want to miss.

Danish Children: Growing Up in America, is on display at the Denver Public Library's Western History/Genealogy Department (located on Level 5 of the Central Library) through the end December 2015 and is free to the public.

For a limited time, visitors can also receive a free souvenir booklet; just ask at the WHG Reference Desk.