April 11, 2016

OLGA WRITING LETTERS TO FOLKE FROM THE SEMINOLE HOTEL IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA



When my twenty-two year old grandmother Olga Jonsson (Dawson) visited her parents in Jacksonville, in 1913, she sometimes wrote to her Swedish husband Folke, on the stationary of the Seminole hotel. The family was often there and Olga wrote that it was a nice place to "go and write letters". Jacksonville at this time did not have many ten story buildings and this was probably a very popular place to eat or just "be seen". (For more about pretty Olga, the young girl from Jacksonville who married the handsome Swede Folke, in Paris 1909)

The Dawson's, interested in property development, were no doubt very impressed by the architect, Henry John Klutho who the year before had finished the magnificent St. James Building and his other buildings like the Klutho Apartments and Marocco temple were also very interesting.
The hotel with many decorations inspired by the Florida Seminole Indians.
Here on the roofed balcony over the portico, one had the perfect view of who was coming or going to the hotel. 
The perfect place for Olga and her young friends to enjoy themselves or "be seen" (to "hang out and chill" as they say these days).
Olga's father William Dawson owned the land that the hotel was built on. The lease was for 99 years and many years later, in 1969, when Olga was seventy-nine, she had to travel to Florida (her last of many trips in her lifetime) to try to sell the building which had become the family responsibility as they owned the land. 
She wrote to her daughter Gunilla, in March of 1969, that the family was looking for a suitable buyer. She had suggested to her two nephews (Carl and Billy) who lived in Jacksonville that they should buy the building, fix it up and call it "The Dawson Building" in honor of their grandfather (and her father). But that never came about. But it would have been a good investment no doubt and a landmark had been preserved.
I seem to remember that grandmother Olga said that it would have been too costly for the hotel to add costly fire escapes, so the building had been handed over to the property owners, Olga and her siblings -- ironic, considering that when this hotel was built, it was advertised as "absolutely fireproof" (see the stationary above).

Henry John Klutho, the architect who came from the East coast when Jacksonville had almost burned to the ground in 1901 (grandmother Olga told us grandchildren how they had to flee the city during a fire and they buried the family silver in the garden before they left). Klutho saw the fire as a great opportunity. Read more about his important influence on Jacksonville architecture. More here.

More Klutho buildings in Jacksonville:

If you look carefully, you can see the intricate and detailed Indian decorations on the facade. More below:

The above picture of the Seminole Hotel facade was taken before the hotel was demolished in 1974. From the article by Wayne W. Wood: Jacksonville's Lost Treasures

This terra cotta ornamental piece from the facade of the Seminole Hotel has been preserved at the Museum of Florida at Tallahassee. (From Tallahassee Daily Photo)

The Indian theme continued inside also, as in this dining room called
 the INDIAN ROOM (two pictures from different times, above and below)



Detail of plate used in the dining room


MORE MATERIAL OF INTEREST:

More INTERIORS FROM THE SEMINOLE HOTEL in Jacksonville, Florida
SEVERAL INTERESTING WALL PAINTINGS

 State Archives of Florida, Florida Memoryhttp://floridamemory.com/items/show/5168 

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memoryhttp://floridamemory.com/items/show/51688 

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memoryhttp://floridamemory.com/items/show/51690

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memoryhttp://floridamemory.com/items/show/51689

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memoryhttp://floridamemory.com/items/show/51692

April 9, 2016

MORE FOLKE

A very young Folke

MORE OLGA

A very young Olga. She had very long hair.

Olga and five children in front of their house villa Lysholmen at Särö



Olga later in life


FLORIDA RELATED PICTURES

Olga's parents, William and Anita Dawson's home on Adams Avenue in Jacksonville.



On the steps are from left: Louise Ball, Anita Ball, Cherokee Ball (with wife?)



Olga and her sister Una 
Olga and her sister Una (who lived in Jacksonville Florida)
Olga frequently visited her home town and brought her children with her on many occasions.
Olga and her sister Una.
And Olga's son Folke Jr who lived in Jacksonville

Olga and her sister Una 
In sofa: Ann, wife of Folke Jr, Olga and her sister Una.
Standing from left: Kristina, wife of Bo-Erling, Gunilla, Folke Jr., Sigrid and husband Charlie.



April 3, 2016

OLGA AND FOLKE - ARCHIPELAGO BATHING TRIP WITH FRIENDS


Olga and Folke and their friends have taken the boat out to have a picnic and a swim in the archipelago ouside Saro where they have their large villa Lysholmen.

Folke left and then Olga on his side. The others unknown.
The time is probably late 1920s
Olga on the left. The lady on the right is dressed just right for an archipelago picnic - with hat and a fur stole.
Below are pictures from another archipelago trip.




MORE OLGA









One of many photos of the Swedish king Gustaf V and Olga.