Name/Title
PuppetEntry/Object ID
2017.54.15Description
Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera puppet. Female puppet with long brown hair, wearing a blue blouse, turquoise and black vest, turquoise and gold striped skirt. One of four tambourine players.Context
Kungsholm was a Scandinavian, sit-down restaurant theater in the McCormick Mansion in Chicago, featuring a miniature grand opera puppet theater. From 1937 to 1971, 100 East Ontario Street was home to the Kungsholm, a one-of-a-kind restaurant that was famed for both its food and entertainment.
Danish-born immigrant Fredrik Chramer remodeled the McCormick Mansion in 1937 into a Swedish style restaurant with multiple dining rooms in blue, gold and pink. The restaurant included private dining rooms and buffet style food such as smörgåsbord. Inspired by puppet shows from his childhood, Chramer opened the Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera Theater together with the “father” of the puppet-opera Ernest Wolff in 1940, in an adjoining building to the restaurant. The restaurant and theater were operated in conjunction by Chramer.
The puppet shows featured unique, 13-inch handcrafted, stringless puppets operated by puppeteers on rolling stools beneath the floor. Using headphones, staff (puppeteers) maneuvered the puppets and kept in touch with the director who gave cues for each show. The theater also included costume staff, a stage manager, and cabinetmakers. It featured over 200 seats. A 20-30 foot stage featured the puppet “singers” while a “pit” in front of the stage contained a full puppet orchestra, led by the puppet director named Tusci. The actual music and singing came from recordings of famous artists. The theater contained, at one point, over 2000 puppets and as many costumes, and over 300 pieces of scenery. The Kungsholm Puppet Theater had over a million visitors to their puppet operas.
In 1947, the theater was destroyed in a fire. Chramer rebuilt it in 1952. The theater was operated by Chramer until 1957 when he sold the Kungsholm due to his declining health. Charmer passed away in 1960. In 1957, the Kungsholm was bought by the Fred Harvey restaurant chain who continued to perform puppet theaters and serve smörgåsbord and Scandinavian dining – with declining numbers and popularity – until the theater was closed in 1971. In 1977, around 250 puppets were rediscovered by the latest owner of the McCormick Building – Lawry’s The Prime Rib Restaurant. They eventually made their way to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. In 2017, the puppets and Kungsholm archives were donated to the Swedish American Museum. They were displayed in an exhibit titled ‘Encore! Encore’ in 2019.Acquisition
Accession
2017.54Source or Donor
Rose GrossingerAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift from Rose GrossingerLexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Puppets, Puppet shows, Theaters, Restaurants, Operas & operettas, PlaysDimensions
Height
25-1/2 inWidth
5-1/2 inMaterial
Metal, Fabric, Wood, Plastic, PaintRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Kungsholm Scandinavian RestaurantReproductions
Notes
Reproduction of the Museum's artifacts for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires written permission.
