Marion Nelson was a towering figure in the Norwegian American Community, he served as Professor of Art History at the University of Minnesota, Executive Director of Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, and a board member of NAHA. Renowned for his work in Norwegian American material cultural and folk art preservation, Nelson edited, Material Culture and People's Art Among the Norwegians in America.

This collection of essays brings together leading scholars to explore the many dimensions of Norwegian American material life, from early collecting and preservation efforts before World War II to the transformation of traditional dress in immigrant communities, the cherished "little immigrant treasures," and the creative expressions of folk art found in church altars.

The research materials used to compile the publication, preserved in the NAHA archives, include manuscripts, correspondence, and countless photographs that reflect Nelson's belief in "objects as indicators of culture," revealing how material things served as powerful expressions of memory, identity, and adaptation for Norwegian immigrants in America.