Making History

The early Icelandic newspapers and magazines published in Manitoba are now extremely valuable historical sources. At the time, however, their focus was mainly current events. Yet, by the turn of the century, a growing recognition emerged that Icelanders in North America should begin to reflect on and record their own histories.

Three vintage Icelandic-language almanak covers from 1895, 1896, and 1897, printed in Winnipeg. Each features bold typography and ornate borders. Advertisements in Icelandic promote goods like watches, clocks, eyeglasses, and furniture from local businesses including G. Thomas and Inman & Co. The 1896 and 1897 covers also show illustrations of eyeglasses.

Three covers of Ólafur S. Thorgeirsson’s Almanak from the years 1895, 1896, and 1897

The first Icelandic publication in Manitoba with a considerable focus on preserving the history of Icelanders in North America was Ólafur S. Thorgeirsson’s Almanak. The first volume of his annual Almanak appeared in 1895, while Ólafur was still working as a printer for Lögberg. Like other almanacs, it included a calendar along with practical information about government regulations, agricultural affairs, lists of major community events, and deaths.

A black and white photo of a middle aged man taken from the shoulders up. He is wearing glasses and a suit jacket and tie.

Ólafur S. Thorgeirsson

At an early stage, Ólafur began to approach people in different Icelandic settlements requesting histories of their communities. The 1899 Almanak included the first of these: a history of the settlement of New Iceland submitted by Guðlaugur Magnússon. The next volume, in 1900, included histories of Icelandic settlements in Washington Island, Muskoka, Nova Scotia, and Minnesota.

Black-and-white portrait of a man dressed in a dark three-piece suit with a light-colored shirt and tie, seated in front of a patterned wallpaper. He has a calm expression and appears to be in later life.

Dr. Richard Beck, 1967

Ólafur published these community histories as parts of a recurring series he titled “Collection of the settlement history of Icelanders in the West.” Soon the Almanak also began to include biographical sketches of individual Icelandic settlers and their families. Ólafur died in 1937. However, the Almanak continued until 1954 under the direction of Ólafur’s sons, Geir and Ólafur Sigtryggur. Richard Beck performed editor’s duties.

Three magazine covers beside one another. The design is the same for cover but the colours are different. From left to right they are orange, pink, and brown. They feature decorative Icelandic language text and an illustration of a woman with long hair wearing long robes and a crown. She also holds a downturned sword in one hand.

Three covers of Ólafur S. Thorgeirsson’s Almanak from the years 1923, 1924, and 1925

Cover of the book Saga Íslendinga í N. Dakota by Thorstina S. Jackson. The title is printed in Icelandic in a plain serif font on a textured background. At the bottom is a black-and-white illustration of an early settler homestead with log buildings, trees, and people in the foreground.

Cover of Saga Íslendinga í N. Dakota

Almanak is arguably the most valuable single source on the history of Icelanders in North America published in Manitoba. However, numerous other history books were published over the years. The 1920s, for example, saw the publication of Thorstína Jackson’s Saga Íslendinga í Norður-Dakota and three books by Þorleifur Jóakimsson on the history of New Iceland. Many books published in Iceland around the time show that readers back in Iceland were also interested in the topic.

A two-page spread of a book. It features four photos of young men in black and white taken from the shoulders up. Two photos appear on each page with blocks of Icelandic text beside each photo.

A two-page spread from the book Minningarrit íslenzkra hermanna 1914-1918

Another remarkable book with a historical focus is Minningarrit íslenzkra hermanna, 1914–1918. The book includes several essays and hundreds of short biographies commemorating North American-Icelanders who served in the First World War. It was published by the Jón Sigurðsson Chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, or IODE.

Cover of a commemorative booklet for the 50th anniversary of the Women's Auxiliary of the Liberal Congregation in Winnipeg (1904–1954), illustrated with a blue sketch of a church in a rural landscape.

Kvennfélag Frjálstrúar, 1954

The Icelandic community in North America began to reflect more deeply on their shared history roughly 20 years, or one generation, after the first Icelandic migrants arrived. The Icelandic publishing industry in Manitoba proved vital to this collective community effort. With his Almanak, Ólafur S. Thorgeirsson forged a particularly valuable path for others to follow.

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