ANDERSONVILLE — The Swedish American Museum will be honoring the family of the Swedish entrepreneur who founded Appleton Electric in a new exhibit opening Friday.
"Appleton: Portrait of a Swedish Chicago Legacy," is a tribute to Albert Ivar Appleton, "whose family continued his appreciation of the arts." An opening celebration will be held at the museum, at 5211 N. Clark St., from 6-8 p.m. Thursday and family is expected to be in attendance, a news release said.
Appleton immigrated to Chicago from Onsala, Sweden, in 1885 and took a job as a tool-and-die machinist by the age of 13. In 1893, he became an assistant superintendent of the Chicago Fuse Manufacturing Company, the release said.
Around 1903, he founded Appleton Electric "at a time when electric manufacturing was in its infancy." The company is still innovative in the industry "as a subsidiary of Emerson Electric," according to its website.
Appleton died in 1951 and his son took over as president of the business until 1957. It was sold to Emerson Electric in 1982, the news release said.
"Through the years, Albert Ivar and his descendants were avid collectors of art and decorative arts, and the collection remains in the family today," their website said.
The art and furniture from their home collected will be showcased as part of the exhibit. The exhibit can be seen through Nov. 29.
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