Swedish Farm - Expo Vienna 1873

The exclusive use of wood seems to belong to the Indo-Germanic races. The Russians, Swedes and Norwegians use only wood, with a few exceptions, in their constructions.

The Norwegian house, like the Swedish farmhouse, is separated from the ground by a stone foundation, which has two advantages: firstly, it insulates the house from the ground itself, which is almost always covered with ice and snow during the winter; secondly, it provides a sort of cellar in the basement, which is very useful.

The walls of the house are made of fir, two sides of which are slightly squared, placed horizontally on top of each other, the squared sides lying flat and the rounded surfaces facing inwards and outwards.

Above this, the roof rises, protecting the front and back of the house.

In the Swedish farmhouse, an outside staircase leads up to the upper floor, where the rooms are used as sleeping quarters.

A large bread oven is used for cooking and warms the room, against which the bitter gusts of the north wind break.

The Norwegian types are due to the talent of Mr. Sodermann, of Stockolm, who has faithfully copied nature and has avoided making those stiff dolls, with wide glass eyes, which are repulsive in appearance. His peasants seem full of life, and they are grouped in such a way as to render well the popular scenes so touching in Norway.

©L’Exposition Universelle de Vienne 1873