Page 59 - Standing Display

MS Kungsholm (1928)

On 27 June 1938 President Roosevelt on behalf of the American people accepted from the people of
Sweden a monument commemorating the founding of "New Sweden" in the Delaware river valley 300
years previously. The statue, the work of Karl Milles, Sweden's leading sculptor, was presented to the
United States by Prince Bertil, the 25 year old son of the Swedish Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, who was
ill aboard the Swedish-American liner Kungsholm, and was unable to participate. He was accompanied
by his mother, the Crown Princess Louise.

The colourful ceremonies on "The Rocks" on the Delaware river side of Fort Christiana Park, where the
Swedish and Finnish colonists landed from the two ships which had brought them from Europe, was
witnessed by official delegates from Sweden and Finland, 300 Swedes and Finns who accompanied the
Royal family and official parties from the Kungsholm as tourists, the Swedish and Finish ministers to the
United States and a huge crowd of Americans.

The post office on the Kungsholm used a special hand-stamp for mail on the day of the ceremony.

This postcard shows the original landing at Delaware.

The stamps are two of the Swedish set issued on 8 April 1938 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of
the settlement of Delaware. The registration label is the one used on the Kungsholn and the postcard is
endorsed as registered at the printed matter rate.

. <
/y. /

Sjp, 7 Giiteborg-
New York

N:r 560

UTIKYARIAT • rruJilJ.m{SAPfAil
a:r.oRG LINDMAN
1638 * NEW SWEDEN * 1938 l\.btr.1SA1&1tlL&i.lTAn 40, ana1101.M