Heritage Memorialized

Costume (Bunad)

Bunad Costume Costume (Bunad)
Norwegian-American
Irene Gilbertson, 1969
Wool, cotton, brass
Gift of Irene Gilbertson
MHAHS 2015.011.0001
Irene Gilbertson poses in her bunad with husband Otto, 1969. MHAHS 5×7.01294.

This decorated dress is a costume known as a bunad, a Norwegian rural folk garment. Irene Gilbertson created this particular outfit to wear when she took tickets and was a host at Mount Horeb’s annual performance of The Song of Norway, a play based on the life of Edvard Grieg.  Begun in 1969, the popular production became an outlet for local talent and a way for the community to attract visitors to the area. Irene Gilbertson’s paternal grandparents emigrated from Norway. She was a pillar of the community and involved in many different groups, including being a long-time participant of The Song of Norway.

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