Gotthard “Gotte” Gustafsson started his activities at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, where his main duties were at the outdoor museum Skansen’s cultural-historical department. Especially in the 1930’s when the museum went through a period of vibrant development, he gave a significant input.
With his work with moving, reconstructing, and preserving old wooden buildings, Gustafsson gathered a rich palette of experiences that he made disposable to others by advising other museums, folklore societies and individuals. He developed an instruction manual, that after his passing was published with the title “Skansen’s manual in preservation of old houses”.
The manual has become norm giving and its detailed drawings and extensive artwork over houses and construction details have later been used in many other works.
Gotte had an artistic ability and was unusually skilled. Swimmingly he could draw, paint, craft, and form metal into perspicacious constructions for different usage and provide family and friends with toys and Christmas decorations, objects that still today are in use. His brilliance was also shown in connection with for instance his book illustrations, book covers and posters.
The Skansen Museum has also lately used his posters and drawings on the museum’s products and in marketing.
