Start your day with some culture to go with your coffee at Start with Art, and get a free peek inside our latest special exhibit, “Appleton: Portrait of a Swedish Chicago Legacy.”

About the exhibit: Albert Ivar Appleton came from Sweden to Chicago in 1885 and by 1903, he had founded Appleton Electric in Chicago at a time when the electric manufacturing industry was in its infancy. Appleton electric continues to innovate in the electric and lighting industry, now as a subsidiary of Emerson Electric. Through the years, Albert Ivar and his descendants were avid collectors of art and decorative arts, and the collection remains in the family today. The Swedish American Museum will curate an exhibit featuring this private art collection and personal photos in order to tell the story of the Appleton family as a Swedish American story of industrial success in Chicago.