Nelson, Marion J.
type Collector
dates 1924-2000
city Saint Paul
stateMN
other citiesMinneapolis, MN; Decora, IA;
sex M
history Marion John Nelson was an art historian and together with his wife, Lila, owned a collection of art pottery.

Nelson got his bachelor’s degree, master’s degrees and Ph.D from the University of Minnesota, where he later taught and served as the chair of the art history department for six years.

Nelson was an expert in Scandinavian art and crafts, plus the art of Scandinavian immigrants in the United States and art pottery. He wrote or edited Norwegian Folk Art: The Migration of a Tradition, Art Pottery of the Midwest, and Norwegian-American Wood Carving of the Upper Midwest, among others.

He was the director of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa from 1965-1991, and was made a knight of in the Royal Order of St. Olaf by by King Olav V of Norway.


decades1960-1970
1970-1980
1980-1990
updated 10/31/2024 13:33:21
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Repository Description Links
The Winterthur Library
Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum
Marion J Nelson Papers, 1960-2000. see details...
University of Minnesota
Archives & Special Collections
Marion John Nelson Papers, 1974-1988 see details...