Exhibit Opening with Edith-Marie's son Albert Goodman

Born in 1919 in Evanston, Illinois, Edith-Marie Appleton was the youngest of the three children of Albert Ivar and Lillian Charlotte Appleton, both of Swedish decent. Albert Ivar Appleton founded the prosperous Appleton Electric Company in 1903. She worked alongside her two brothers at the family’s prosperous Appleton Electric Company (founded in 1903), contributing as an artist and collaborator on company catalogues. Edith earned an arts degree from Smith College in 1941 and served as a registered nurse at Evanston Hospital during World War II. Her thorough philanthropic involvement and support of the arts was sustained by an underlying personal creativity and commitment to the arts, showcased in this exhibit through portions of her personal photograph collection.

In addition to photography, Edith-Marie played the role of poet and musician in her personal life. Above all, she was known by those closest to her as a restless, creative, and introspective spirit. These photographs, generously donated to the Swedish American Museum by Edith’s son, Albert Ivar Goodman, provide a rare and special look into the private lives of the Appleton family, and into Edith’s world in particular. Including natural landscapes, candid portraits, and more, these images, paired with some of Edith’s poetic musings, give us a glimpse into her reality.