1918: The Danish village Solvang, California

I went to Solvang in January 2018. And when my history class required us to explore 1918, this town suddenly came to my mind. What did it look like 100 years ago? What are the differences between my photography and historical ones? It’s attractive to see this Danish village’s changing and development for a tourist.

(Photo by Ying. The main street of Solvang)

Solvang has a rich Danish heritage. Founded by Danish immigrants in 1911, Solvang boasts authentic architecture, thatched roofs, old-world craftsmanship and traditional windmills. Adventurous Danish-Americans traversed the plains from Iowa to establish a settlement in the golden state of California. In 1918, the construction scale of Solvang had basically taken shape, and the town had begun to show its unique Danish style since it was constructed in 1911.

(Photo by Ying. The traditional transportation in Solvang)

Solvang means "sunny field" in Danish. “From the Danish traditions of Solvang to the Western roots of the entire region, arts and culture have played an important role over the last century in the Santa Ynez Valley.” The most impressive things for me is to see the development process of Danish lace in the Elverhoj Museum of History & Art. The industrious laboring people retained the most traditional hand knitting method, which gave them the most exquisite lace.

The architectural and folk ambience of the cultural icons scattered throughout Solvang, putting you in the fresh atmosphere of European style, carefree and complacent. And yes, those windmills are real. Oh yeah, and if you notice something smelling really good, it may be coming from one of the many Danish bakeries as the scents from the delicacies waft from their shop windows.

(Photo by Ying. The windmill)

Also, let’s see the old pictures of Solvang in 1918.

(Solvang's Main Street, 1919 (now Copenhagen Drive).)

(“Rock” Sorensen and his roadster, 1918.)

(The Elverhoj Museum of History & Art)

The time witnessed the new development of this town, but also endowed it with infinite vitality. Solvang is not the destination of our journey, but a new beginning.

^{100% of the SBD rewards from this #explore1918 post will support the Philadelphia History Initiative @phillyhistory. This crypto-experiment conducted by graduate courses at Temple University's Center for Public History and MLA Program, is exploring the history and empowering education. Click here to learn more.}