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America Letters Project: University of Turku, Finland, collection

 Collection
Identifier: IHRC149

Abstract

Collection consists of three sets of microfilm reels: 1) Letters from the Varsinais Suomi area of Finland: The America Letters, Varsinais Suomi (Finland), collection (1885-1960) contains 4,000 letters written by Finnish immigrants in the United States to relatives and friends in the Varsinais Suomi area of Finland.

2) Letters from the Etela-Pohjanmaa area of Finland. The America Letters (1890-1960), Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finland), collection consists of 4,000 letters sent by Finnish immigrants in Canada and the United States to friends and relatives in the Etela-Pohjanmaa area of Finland.

3) Letters from the Satakunta area of Finland The America Letters (1880-1964), Satakunta (Finland), collection contains 6,000 letters sent by Finnish immigrants in the United States and Canada to the Satakunta area of Finland. Also included are family photographs. The letters discuss family news; economic conditions; living conditions; working conditions; weather; and moving in search of employment.

Selected items from the collection have been digitized and are available in the University of Minnesota's U Media Archive and on the Digitizing Immigrant Letters project website (see "Digital material" below).

Dates

  • 1880-1964

Language of Materials

Finnish

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.

OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

For further information regarding the copyright, please contact the IHRCA.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

In the 1960s, the Department of History of the University of Turku, Finland, conducted a project that gathered materials pertaining to Finnish overseas emigration. As part of the project, in 1964 and 1966, the Department collected letters sent by Finnish immigrants living in various destinations (mainly in the U.S. and Canada) to their family, friends, and relatives in Finland. The project yielded over 12,000 letters, which were collected in three provinces in the coastal areas of Finland (the area from which most Finnish immigrants to the U.S. originated): Varsinais-Suomi, Satakunta, and Etelä-Pohjanmaa. These "America Letters" (ca. 1880-1964) are now part of the IHRC's Finnish American collection in microfilm format.

Extent

57 microfilm rolls

ORGANIZATION OF MATERIALS

The collection is organized into three series: 1) Letters from the Varsinais Suomi area of Finland: P2666-2681. 2) Letters from the Etela-Pohjanmaa area of Finland: P1298-1313. 3) Letters from the Satakunta area of Finland: P1270-1294.

  • Finnish Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Title
Inventory of the America Letters Project: University of Turku, Finland collection.
Author
IHRC Archives
Date
2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding Aid in English

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Immigration History Research Center Archives Collecting Area

Contact:

612-625-4800