Gustav Fonandern

• Name — Gustav Fonandern • Born — 14 July 1880 • Birthplace — Gävle, Sweden • Died — 22 November 1960 • Occupation — architect, singer • Spouse — Maria Lovisa Fonandern

As a young man Fonandern studied to be an architect. Upon graduation he opened his own firm in Gävle. It wasn’t long, however, before he began performing in cabarets in addition to his work as a draftsman. Eventually the singing took over, but he continued with his architectural activities when time allowed. During the 1910s and 1920s Fonandern toured frequently and performed in Sweden's folk parks. In 1921 he embarked on an American tour, which took him from coast to coast by automobile, something never done by a Swedish artist before. In Duluth, Minnesota Fonandern gave his first ever radio performance. Gustav Fonandern stayed in the United States off and on from 1921 through 1926. When he was not on tour or in the recording studio, he worked as an architect in Chicago and other cities. In addition to buildings in California and Florida, he designed 150 houses and a large hotel on Long Island, outside of New York. After returning to Sweden Fonandern continued to tour, this time by car, which was so unusual at the time that advertising posters read: "Performance by GUSTAV FONANDERN, architect and ballad singer with his own car!". Despite his great success as an entertainer, Fonandern never put away the drafting pen for good. In the early 1930s he founded yet another architectural firm, this time on Drottninggatan in Stockholm.

• Illustration — Gustav Fonandern 1910s • Illustration — Gustav Fonandern 1910s • Illustration — Gustav Fonandern 1920s