Original
 PIONEER COLLECTION
I have been working on my collection for the past several years and now completed
a series of woodcarvings entitled "Pioneers" (Nybyggarna), which includes the following
four handcrafted reliefs:
- PIONEERS (Nybyggarna) 1989
- IMMIGRANTS (Invandrarna) 1990
- SUMMER EVENING (Sommar kväll) 1991
- THE GRANDCHILDREN (Barnbarnen) 1992
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The first immigrants from Sweden set sail out of Karlshamn in 1851. By the year 1910,
already 39,189 Swedes had departed from their homeland, of which 26,905 had arrived in
North America. Still today in the city of Karlshamn, a commemorative statue of
"Karl-Oskar and Kristina" stands in remembrance of that historical event.
Also, Wilhelm Moberg, a well-known author has written several famous novels about the
happenings that took place many many years ago.
I lived in Karlshamn myself from 1977 to 1985. Therefore I had a special interest in
it, and through the eyes of the immigrants, I have recreated my own version of the
historical events with respect to the years of 1851-1910.
I hope these carvings will be treasured not only among the Swedish, but also many
people in North America and throughout the world, who themselves have experienced hard
times starting as pioneers.
Dated in Helsingborg, Sweden, 10 August 1992
RISTO KARVINEN
(Signature not displayed for security reasons)
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