New York World's Fair 1939
It was not until the Worldís Fair staged in New York in 1939 that the horses from Dalecarlia became world famous. The designer of the Swedish exhibition building was struck with an idea ñ why not place a gigantic Dalecarlian horse at the entrance to the pavilion? It would certainly be eye-catching. It was. The horse was, literally, a huge success and was much photographed and written about in the international press. The next year some 20,000 Dalecarlian horses ñ an impressive number for the times ñ were manufactured for export to New York.
Our horse has become a symbol of Sweden. And the children and grandchildren of Nils and Janne Olsson are today carrying on the venerable tradition of woodcarving started many years ago in the deep forests of Dalecarlia.