People important to the museum

Adolf Andersohn wanted to bring the world to Vänersborg and exhibit it at Vänersborgs museum. He wanted to share what he had experienced on his travels and get Vänersborg to be amazed by all the beautiful and exotic items from all around the world.

As a 19 years old, Axel W Eriksson became employed as an assistant to the explorer Charles John Andersson in South Africa - an adventure that lasted for 36 years. Eriksson never forgot his hometown Vänersborg and donated nearly 1,000 birds from South West Africa. This donation led to Vänersborgs museum.

Few know that western Sweden was discovered in 1820 by a British nobleman who sent home exotic stories from this region. Llewellyn Lloyd was quite exotic himself and could be seen walking the streets leading a live bear in a chain.

Charles John Andersson was an explorer in Africa during the 1800s. He was also the son of the famous British big game hunter and zoologist Llewellyn Lloyd.

Few people know that Charles Darwin corresponded with the bear-hunter Llewellyn Lloyd, an Englishman who settled in Vänersborg in the 1820´s. In Darwin´s books, there are numerous references to Lloyd´s zoological studies in western Sweden.