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HELLSTROM, GEORG (IMPRESSARIO, DES MOINES, IOWA)


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ReferenskodSE/SEI/SEI_2779-1
Länk till postenhttps://sok.riksarkivet.se/arkiv/7tQPIyTs6oBIKQbACZGvP2
ExtraIDSEI_2779-1
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0 Hyllmeter 
1 Volymer 
ArkivinstitutionSvenska Emigrantinstitutet
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HELLSTROM, GEORG (IMPRESSARIO, DES MOINES, IOWA)
Kategori: Person (släkt). Ospecificerad

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ArkivhistorikErnst Georg Hellstrom
aka. E. George Hellstrom
born 5th Jan 1882 in Stockholm Sweden Maria parish
Here is what is currently known:
1900 At eighteen he was employed as a farm hand in rural Björnlunda Södermanland, where his mothers parents came from
1902 trained as a fireman in the navy military academy at Skeppsholmen Stockholm Sweden, after which he travelled between various European ports mainly with civilian freight ships
September 1909 first time in America = Baltimore, sailing as a fireman out of Baltimore to Port Anthony Jamaica and back again every 2 weeks on the S/S Hippolyte Dumois, as described in a preserved letter to his mother Johanna
June 1910 sailing on the great lakes as shipmate from Buffalo to Milwaukee, Chicago and other smaller cities, here he expressed in another preserved letter the intention of applying for US citizenship
Went ashore, probably in Chicago, sometime after 1910 but before 1915 (see below)
February 1916 joins the First Lutheran Church in Des Moines Iowa, from which he is expelled in october 1916 for being absent
February 1917 rejoins the First Lutheran Church in Des Moines Iowa, this record says that he came to Des Moines from Chicago sometime in 1915, he is again expelled for being absent, this time in december 1919
9 August 1917 in the swedish language newspaper Svenska Amerikanaren of Chicago it is said that: "E. George Hellström from Des Moines Iowa is acting impressario for the wellknown Olle i Skratthult and he was here in the city (Chicago) to layout plans for Olles next tour through the major swedish communities in Illinois". The first printed mention sofar of him as booking agent for Olle.
January 1918 he is apparently living in Willmar Minnesota (Box 9, The Magnet Inn, owned by Hjalmar Peterson and his brother David) where he works general agent for the Baryphone telephone loudspeaker system and trying to recruit sales agents across Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The last recruitment ad appears in april 1918.
12 September 1918 he is registered to be a soldier in WW1. Present occupation Farm laborer (!?). "Alien" meaning not yet US Citizen. Application for Naturalization submitted the same day. As nearest relative he states one Hjalmar Peterson living in Willmar Kandiyohi Minnesota. This is none other than Olle i Skratthult.
August 1921 Geo. Hellstrom, booking agent for the Olle i Skratthult Company, left last week for various points in the Western States and is en route for the State of California. He will also book dates in several southern states. Mr. Hellstrom will return after a tour of seven months.
Judging from newspaper ads and reviews this turned out to be one heck of a tour that also for the first time stretched far outside the typically "swedish" parts of America, say Minnesota and Illinois, states that were already frequently toured. Looking at the population statistics they clock up visits to 25 states in all and are almost 100% accurate in targeting states/places with a high number of swedish immigrants, the only exception being Texas that is mentioned in planning but apparently never visited.
May 1922 Mr. E. Geo. Hellstrom together with Mr Otto Nilsson of The Magnet Inn have leased The Diamond Lake dancing pavilion and Mr. Hellstrom will run the establishment during the coming season.
6th September 1922 a two month Skratthult tour is presented for the autumn season that will take them to Wisconsin, the two Dakotas and Michigan. After a short break they will travel to Montana and the far west. "The company may go to Texas where a good field for scandinavian entertainment is reported," This tour goes ahead to Montana, Seattle, San Francisco where they appear in january 1923.
7th September 1922 it is said in Minneapolis Tidende that Geo. Hellström is acting as impressario also for Gustav Fornandern, another swedish language entertainer briefly touring the US. George Hellströms adress is given as Box 9, Willmar, Minnesota=The Magnet Inn.
18th October 1922 Olle i Skratthult will begin touring "large territory". Two thirds of all the states in the union will be visited and played in by the Olle i SKratthult Comedy Company, according to E. George Hellstrom, the advance man. Mr. Hellstrom left on friday morning on a six month billing and booking trip which will carry him through the largest territory which the company has ever entered upon in on one tour. In LA the company will visit the home of Dr. David Peterson , a brother of Hjalmar Peterson, the leading man of the company...
This is the 18th season for the company. Hjalmar Peterson also played for four years in Sweden. Mr. E. George Hellstrom, advance man, has acted in that position for the last twelve years.
This is sofar the last newspaper item mentioning George Hellstrom I have been able to locate. In 1923 there is no sign in the newspapers of such a big tour taking place.
The story of Olle i Skratthult however continues, albeit at a much slower pace, through the 1920-s, but there is no mention of George Hellstrom in print after 18th october 1922.
This "large territory" tour apparently does not happen. Only sporadic appearances f.ex. December 1923 in Connecticut, November 1924 in San Francisco etc. No cross country tour.
Meanwhile in March and June 1923 Gustav Fornandern makes appearances and finally settles in
San Francisco in june 1924 to pursue his previous occupation as architect. His tour might have have been booked by Georg Hellstrom, but there is no mention in print.
In April 1925 it is said in Svenska Folkets Tidning that new appearances by Olle i Skratthult are planned for Minneapolis/S:t Paul by their impressario Axel Sundberg (!!). Apparently George Hellström has been succeeded by a new person at this time. The question is what happened in the meantime? And where did Georg Hellstrom go?
If we are to believe the statements made in the "large territory" article:
"18th season for the company": that would mean he started in 1904-05, he would have been 18 years of age - Olle came to the US permanently in September 1906 after having given or appeared in shows in rural Sweden, so that included it is probably correct.
"George Hellstrom, advance man, has acted in that position for the last twelve years": that would mean that he started around 1910 which is a bit of a stretch as he was a shipmate in june 1910, and Hjalmar was back in Sweden during the whole year 1910. However he may have acted OFF-AND-ON as an advance man/booking agent between other jobs as farm laborer, telephone sales man, Magnet Inn manager, head of seaside summer resort etc. Maybe this was commonplace in those days.
Hjalmar Peterson went back to Sweden in december 1909 and returned in march 1911 appearing mostly in Minneapolis, whereas Georg Hellstrom probably lives in Chicago. In march 1912 Hjalmar first appears in the Lake View Hall of Chicago. Then in 1913 he makes frequent appearances in Chicago. It is possible that he teamed up with George Hellstrom as temporary booking agent already in Chicago around 1912 at the earliest. However the first printed proof of a regular position that I have found is the above from 9th August 1917.
December 2012

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