Anna Larkin
Swedish Woodcarver
1855-1939
Living in Sweden
Anna Larkin (sometimes known as Annie Larkins) was born Anna Elisabet Jonsdotter in Åsbo Järvsö Hälsingland, Sweden in 1855. While living there she acquired some renown as a woodcarver. Anna began carving when she was seven years old. When she was ten, she sold a model of a horse to a Swedish sea captain.
Anna continued to develop her skills and as her fame grew, Oscar II, the King of Sweden, twice purchased models of horses from her. When the crown prince of Sweden was born, Anna sent him a carved animal. Legend has it that Anna’s skill and reputation as a woodcarver led to a place in the court of Swedish nobility where she lived for one year. While there, she once took care of the crown prince, Gustaf VI Adolf, while his parents attended a gala event.
Anna married Per Olsson Åberg on November 16, 1878 in Sweden. This union produced two children: a daughter, Anna Katarina, and a son, Jonas Erik. Due to her reputation as a woodcarver, Anna was courted by officials of several schools to come and teach her art. She declined these offers so she could stay home with her children.
Journey to America
In 1882 Anna and Per’s marriage ended in divorce. In 1887, she and her two children immigrated to the United States. It has been said that before she left, the King of Sweden tried to persuade her not to leave as she was considered a fine artist. After arriving in New York, she settled in Arkansas City, Kansas working in a wood planing mill for one winter.
Going by the name Anna Johnson, she met John Larkin or Larkins (both spellings are used in information about Anna) and they were married in October, 1890. Three daughters were born: Maria Josefine, who died in infancy, Jenny Elenora, and Maranda Jane. In 1896, the family moved to McPherson, Kansas.
For a time, Anna helped support the family by sewing. When her eyesight became too poor for her to sew intricate detail, she switched back to woodcarving, selling her pieces for $10.00-$25.00 locally and by mail. She also bartered her carvings if she needed to pay for a doctor’s visit, medicine, or for groceries.
Master of the Craft
Anna mainly used white pine to make her carvings, though on occasion she employed California sugar pine. She liked the harder wood with its closed grain and she considered it best for carving. Her specialties were oxen and covered wagons, though she also carved other animals and people.
She took about two days to do an average carving. She would cut and saw out the rough shape and then the next day she would begin to carve the details with a paring knife. To smooth the carving, she would first rub it with a piece of glass followed by two different grades of sandpaper. Anna rarely painted her carvings as she said that, “if you painted them, you were covering up something you were ashamed of and she was not ashamed of her work.”
While still living in Sweden, Anna won numerous awards and prizes for her work but apparently never entered any contests here in the United States. She once commented that there were few wood carvers in this country and that fairs did not offer prizes for such exhibits.
The March 15, 1933 edition of the McPherson Daily Republican reported that Anna had sent a carving of a dog to President Franklin D. Roosevelt stating, “not only with the hope it might advertise her products but because she thought the president might like her carvings.”
John passed away in 1936 and Anna continued to live at the home with Jack, her black short-haired terrier. Her daughter, Anna Katarina, helped care for her the last few years of her life. Anna passed away in 1939, a gifted artist who was much admired by the people of McPherson.