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Viking(replica Viking longship)

Coordinates:41°53′37″N88°17′32″W/ 41.89361°N 88.29222°W/41.89361; -88.29222
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This article is about aViking ship replica.For ships of the Vikings, seeViking ship.For other ships named Viking, seeViking (disambiguation) § Ships.

Viking
History
United States
NameViking
OwnerFriends of theVikingShip
OperatorCaptain Magnus Andersen
BuilderChristen Christensen
LaunchedRødsverven shipyard at Sandefjord, Norway
Completed1893
Maiden voyageBergen, Norway to Chicago, Illinois
FateOn exhibition at Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois
StatusVikingship replica
General characteristics
Length78 ft
Beam17 ft
Height6.5 ft
Speed10 knots
A 1925 US 5c Postage Stamp featuring theViking,for theNorse-American Centennial

Vikingis aViking ship replica.It is an exactreplicaof theGokstad shiprecovered fromGokstadhaugen,aViking Ageburial mound inSandefjord,Norwayin 1880.Vikingwas featured at theWorld's Columbian ExpositionatChicagoin 1893.[1]

History

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The ship was built at theRødsvervenshipyard inSandefjord,Norway. The construction was undertaken by Norwegian shipyard and ship-ownerChristen Christensentogether with Ole Wegger (1859-1936) director ofFramnæs Mekaniske Værksted.The ship was christenedViking.The ship was sailed by Captain Magnus Andersen (1857-1938) and a crew of 11 fromBergen,Norway.[2][3][4]

Vikingsailed to North America, viaNewfoundlandandNew York,up theHudson River,through theErie Canaland into theGreat LakestoChicago,where theWorld's Columbian Expositionwas taking place in 1893 to commemorate the discovery ofAmericabyColumbus.Carter Harrison, Sr.,Chicago's four-term mayor, boarded and took command for the last leg of the voyage, arriving at Jackson Park on Wednesday, July 12, 1893 to much fanfare.[5]

After the 1893 Exposition,Vikingsailed down the Mississippi toNew Orleansand wintered there. On her return to Chicago,Vikingwas first located beside theField Columbian Museum(now the Museum of Science and Industry) in Chicago, then placed inLincoln Parkunder a fenced-in, wooden shelter, where it was neglected and covered in pigeon guano for decades.[6]In 1920, the ship was restored by the Federation of Norwegian Women's Societies.[7]

In 1925, to publicize and promote theNorse-American CentennialinSt. Paul, Minnesota,a set of United States Postage Stamps were issued. The event honored the 100th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the United States. One of the stamps featured a picture ofVikingbased upon a photograph taken in 1893. The engravers included the American flag waving from the bow.[8]

Current display

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In 1994,Vikingwas moved from its location to make room for expansion of theLincoln Park Zoo.With funds raised from theScandinavian-Americancommunity, the ship was moved into a warehouse inWest Chicago,and then to Good Templar Park inGeneva, Illinois,and secured under a canopy. The head and tail ofVikingwere placed in storage at the ChicagoMuseum of Science and Industry.In 2007, Landmarks Illinois listed the ship as one of the 10 most endangered landmarks in Illinois.[9]In 2008, Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley was recognized byLandmarks Illinoisand theRichard H. Driehaus Foundationfor fund raising efforts resulting in stabilization of the ship. That same year, funds for preservation were awarded byAmerican Expressin partnership with theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.[10][11][12][13]

In 2012, trusteeship ofVikingwas transferred from theChicago Park Districtto Friends of the Viking Ship, which had been established to further the preservation effort. Docent-led tours are offered on scheduled dates during the months of April through October. In 2013 and 2014, stabilization efforts and exhibit improvements were made. Additional keel supports were installed in 2014. A further step in the stabilization effort will be to clean, treat, and seal all ofViking's thousands of rivets.[13][14][15][16]

Viking'sway across the Atlantic in 1893

Images

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  • Viking's shelter
    Viking's shelter
  • Side view
    Side view
  • Inside, looking towards the front
    Inside, looking towards the front
  • Inside, looking towards the rear
    Inside, looking towards the rear
  • Front view
    Front view

See also

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  • Íslendingur:a later Viking replica ship to travel across the Atlantic
  • ''Viking(replica Viking longship): Also on display at the World's Columbian Exposition

References

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  1. ^Karl E. H. Seigfried. (October 14, 2013)."Viking Ship Field Trip".The Norse Mythology Blog.Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2015.RetrievedOctober 8,2015.
  2. ^"History of Viking".Friends of the Viking Ship.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2019.RetrievedJune 1,2019.
  3. ^"Ole Wegger, Director".lardex.net.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2019.RetrievedOctober 8,2015.
  4. ^Bård Kolltveit."Magnus Andersen - Skipsfører Sjøfartsadministrator Journalist".Norsk biografisk leksikon.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedOctober 8,2015.
  5. ^Jørn Olav Løset.""Viking" - Gokstadkopien fra 1893 ".vikingskip. Archived fromthe originalon June 11, 2018.RetrievedJune 1,2019.
  6. ^Mullen, William (10 March 1994)."After 74 Years in City Dry Dock, Viking Ship is Again on Move".Chicago Tribune.Chicago.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2022.Retrieved9 October2022.
  7. ^Viking ship from 1893 Chicago world's fair begins much-needed voyage to restoration(Chicago Tribune. June 26, 2008)ArchivedAugust 21, 2016, at theWayback Machine
  8. ^"Gokstad ship".Topical Stamps. March 31, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedOctober 9,2015.
  9. ^Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, at landmarks.orgArchived2017-06-25 at theWayback MachineAccessed June 29, 2017
  10. ^Grant`s Return Has The Vikings SmilingArchived2022-10-09 at theWayback MachineChicago Tribune. August 15, 1985. accessed:June 1, 2019
  11. ^Kathryn E. Felter (April 1996)."Good Templar Park".Illinois History. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-09-15.RetrievedOctober 9,2015.
  12. ^ "PPFV Declares 2007 'The Year of The Ship'"(PDF).Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. Spring 2008. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 3, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
  13. ^ab "Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. Geneva (Advocacy)"(PDF).Landmarks Illinois. October 3, 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 3, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
  14. ^"The Viking Ship will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on October 17".Friends of the Viking Ship.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2015.RetrievedOctober 9,2015.
  15. ^Ray Johnson (February 20, 2014)."World's Fair Viking Ship in Geneva, Illinois".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on October 30, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
  16. ^Al Benson (May 13, 2015)."Tour replica of Viking ship at Geneva's Good Templar Park".Daily Herald (Chicago).Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
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41°53′37″N88°17′32″W/ 41.89361°N 88.29222°W/41.89361; -88.29222

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