Mary Erlander

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Artist Details

  • Mary
  • Olivia
  • Erlander
  • Erlander
  • n/a
  • n/a
  • October 16, 1870
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • January 12, 1968
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Swedishy
  • 404 South 3rd Street, Rockford, Illinois; built by her father in 1871
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Painter-Oil
  • 1898-1899: Rockford Seminary for Young Ladies (now College), Rockford, Illinois
  • Array
  • 1897: Winnebago County Fair, Rockford, Illnois
  • Swedish Historical Society of Rockford, Rockford, Illinois
  • 1897, blue ribbon, Winnebago County Fair, Rockford, Illinois
  • Parents:  John E. (Slätthög, Sweden April 7, 1826-February 14, 1917; immigrated to Chicago 1854, to Rockford 1855) and Ingrid Peters/Inga Stina Petersdotter Erlander (Villstad, Sweden July 9, 1833-October 21, 1915 Rockford, Illinois; immigrated 1854, her parents died of cholera 2 weeks later!); he was tailor then owned a furniture store, Union Furniture Company

    Siblings:  6, including Alfred D. Erlander (1860-1948) and Hannah Christina Erlander (November 24, 1865-January 24, 1937)

    The art hall at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago inspired her to take up painting and attend classes at Rockford College.   She continued to paint pictures of the gardens she cared for around her family’s home (now the Swedish Historical Society’s Erlander Home Museum) in Rockford and portraits like the one of a young woman with red hair currently on display, and Christmas cards of local scenes, sometimes sending more than 500.