It began with playful reminiscing. . .

At the age of 10 Evangeline Hoysradt loved to visit her grandmother to play with a paperweight she owned. It kept her intrigued for hours looking to see if she might find the same cane inside this paperweight.

After the death of her grandmother, that paperweight was the only thing Evangeline wanted to own, but it was taken by other family members before she could express her interest. It was not until a serendipitous event occurred in Evangeline's later years that something similar surfaced again.
Evangeline did not collect and was not prone to making impromptu visits to antique shows, but while in Florida in March of 1935, she decided to attend one in St. Petersburg.
There it was, a paperweight very similar to the one she played with as a child was for sale. It was marked with a B and an 1847 date. She purchased it and one other- what she called a Fowlerton piece, which records indicate was a Whitefriars Inkbottle.

A growing collection and level of expertise

Mrs. Evangeline Bergstrom's Collection was exhibited at The Art Institute of Chicago, 1939. Over 200 weights were displayed.Mrs. Bergstrom appeared on a WGN Chicago radio talk show scheduled for November 24, 1942, after photos of her collection appeared on cover of Hobbies Magazine.

Requests continued for showing the Bergstrom collection. These included the Neville Public Museum in 1939, the Milwaukee Art Institute in 1940 and a plea from the Milwaukee Public Museum in 1949.Fan mail poured in as personal letters sent to Mrs. Bergstrom thanking her for sharing the collection with adoring enthusiasts. Milwaukee Art Institute sent a letter of request for a show in 1940.

By Fall of 1940, pre-publication information was out on Mrs. Bergstrom's self published book on glass paperweights from her collection and research.It was one of the most authoritative references of the time. Accolades from notables Robert Guggenheim requested a replacement copy after a fire. Publishers, authors, collectors and enthusiasts of all types were taken with the beauty of the publication and the manner of its writing.
The American Library Association included it among three recommendations for their Christmas gift picks. Accolades also came from other noted collectors: Dorothea Yaeger, with the highest regard for a fine work, and Jennie Sinclair who closed her correspondence with, I hope one day I have the privilege of seeing your fine collection.

John Nelson Bergstrom was able to see his wife rise to this level of expertise, and was instrumental in preserving Evangeline's efforts primarily between 1935 and 1944. He did not live to see the museum to fruition, but his death in 1951 left the city of Neenah with a legacy and a charge-to build a museum after Evangeline passed on.

Founders fulfill a legacy  April 5, 1959 the museum opened to the public.

Museum Founders
Evangeline Bergstrom
Carol and Ernst Mahler
Mayor Carl Loehning
Mrs. Jessie K. Clark
Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Shattuck
Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Kimberly
Miss Helen E. Babcock
Miss F. Elizabeth Babcock
Mrs. H. E. Babcock
Arthur P. Remley

In addition to the donation of their Germanic glass collection, Ernst and Carol Mahler added much to the success of the museum. After Mrs. Bergstrom died in February of 1958 and bequeathed her glass collections and 1929 Tudor home to the City of Neenah, the Mahlers and several other community members worked together to found the museum. On April 5, 1959, the John Nelson Bergstrom Art Center opened to the public. In an effort to meet the needs of its growing public, museum expansions took place in 1965, 1986, and again in 1997. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum now greets more than 20,000 visitors each year. The museum glass collection numbers over 3,000 objects and is revered in glass collection communities world-wide.