Charles Johan Bergstrom (1879-1955)

Charles Johan Bergstrom biography:

Charles Bergstrom was born Carl Johan Bergström on January 26, 1879 in Strandebarm Parish, Hordaland, Norway. His parents, August and Maria Bergstrom, had come from Sweden for a few years while August worked in the iron mines of Norway. In 1881 he, his sister Anna, and his parents came to America. A sister, Selma, was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1883, and sister Esther was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1884, before the family returned to Chicago and then settled in La Grange, Illinois in 1900. Charles took art lessons from the Art Institute in Chicago.

Charles Bergstrom first worked as a bookkeeper for the Malleable Casting Works Company in Chicago from 1902-1920 and then became a commercial artist at 311 River Sreet, Chicago, before becoming a free-lance artist in 1931.

He was a New Deal/WPA artist and then worked for the Chicago & North Western Railroad doing advertising material and presenting “Chalk Talks” at travel expositions in Omaha, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Chicago.

Charles Bergsrtom painted permanent murals in the Chicago & North Western and the La Salle Street train stations and did a mural in the Fair Store. He taught art classes and lectured extensively in the Chicago area including the Municipal Art League of Chicago.

He and his family lived in La Grange, Illinois, 1902-1937, at 514 North Kensington 1904-1937. Known as C.J., Bergstrom was the 2nd president of the La Grange Art League from 1934-1935. He then moved to Furnessville, Indiana near Chesterton and Michigan City, Indiana in 1941, where he had an art studio and he continued to teach art lessons in the area. Throughout his art career, Charles created original oil paintings that are now cherished by art collectors.

In 1952 he and his wife, Esther, moved to Arcadia, California. Charles passed in his beloved town of Arcadia on October 12, 1955 and Esther on February 8, 1962. They are both buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Available painting:

Click on images to enlarge.

“Autumn Reflections”
Charles Bergstrom
oil 16″ x 20″
$2,500

See additional information about “Autumn Reflections”.

Biography courtesy AskArt.com