Introduction
With one of the oldest and largest ethnic manuscript collections in the United States, the Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) is a leader in the field of ethnic migration studies. Its mission is to locate, collect, preserve and interpret the Norwegian-American experience with accuracy, integrity, and liveliness. The NAHA archival collection includes letters, ledgers, books, periodicals, photographs, diaries, and audio and video recordings. The materials bring life to thousands of individuals, organizations, and businesses comprising the Norwegian diaspora in North America since migration began in the early 19th century.
Since its founding in 1925, NAHA has been located on the campus of St. Olaf College. Although both institutions are independent entities, they maintain close cooperation on common causes. NAHA maintains close ties to NAHA-Norge, known in Norway as Det norske-amerikanske historielaget i Norge. As an independent, non-profit organization, NAHA-Norge aims to promote scholarly interests in Norwegian-American studies in Norway, as well as to encourage Norwegian contributions to this field of study.
This exhibit, Skiing Collections in the NAHA Archives, highlights the Norwegian-American Historical Association’s unique collection of materials covering the Norwegian and Norwegian American stories around skiing in the United States. These materials document organizational and personal records. It is important to note that this digital exhibit is not an all encompassing history of skiing, or skiing materials in the archives. Instead, we are pointing to unique materials housed in the NAHA archives.