Kristine Leander, cultural director of the Seattle Swedish Cultural Center and former director of the Leif Erikson Foundation, stopped by the May 13 Ballard Chamber of Commerce luncheon to discuss Norwegian history in the region in anticipation of Syttende Mai, May 17.

Leander presented a selection of photos from her new book, "Norwegian Seattle."

One photo showed a group of Norwegians hanging out on Dock St. early in Ballard's history, Leander said it was fitting that Bad Albert's is currently located there.

"Strong independent women are very much a part of the Norwegian tradition," she said while discussing the founding of the Daughters of Norway.

There was a photo of reindeer from Norway that stayed at the Woodland Park Zoo briefly on their way to Alaska. Approximately 8,000 people stopped by to see them in one day, she said.

A more recent photo demonstrated the slow diffusion of Ballard's Scandinavian base. In 1994, Scandies, a Finnish restaurant, served Lutefisk and Swedish pancakes from a location on Market Street that has since become the India Bistro.

Leander said she thinks Norwegian culture has been able to persevere through the decades in the area because Norwegians, as a group, are known for their cohesiveness, bred through a long history of being dominated by Denmark and Sweden.