American Swedish Historical Museum
October 2011
Jenny Lind Cigar Box
“Factory No. 67 2nd district New York”
19th Century
The Jenny Lind Room
I chose to discuss the Jenny Lind cigar box in the American Swedish Historical Museum this week because of the objects connection to opera singer, Jenny Lind (1820-1877). Lind was an influential figure in Swedish society through her successful music career. The room is named after Lind and contains portraits of her, personal objects, and works from other notable individuals in Swedish culture. The cigar box in particular was of interest to me and is most likely to others because it is an object of memorabilia from her music career, and represents her level of fame in the 19th century. Multiple audiences would be able to engage in the object by comparing it to current memorabilia or as an object they recognize from their past.
The cigar box is displayed in a glass class case with other objects from Jenny Lind’s life to portray the breadth of her influence. Among the objects are a decanter, sunglasses, concert tickets, a decorative fan, and porcelain dolls in Lind’s likeness. Placing the cigar box with these items creates a more complete picture of how successful Lind was. The labels in the case briefly describe the objects and their intended purposes. The label next to the cigar box explains that the box once held cigars made in Havana, Cuba.
Studying the history of popular culture memorabilia would create an interesting context in which to view the cigar box and other objects in the display case. Also being familiar with Swedish musical culture, especially the opera would enrich the experience by being able to compare and contrast it with American pop culture. Because the labels are brief, people who enjoy having in depth labels and information about objects would spend a short amount of time at this particular object, however it plays an essential role in depicting the star power of Jenny Lind within the room.
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