The Kusiner Magazine was created for the Swedish Finn Historical Society as part of a broader initiative to preserve and celebrate the emotional, cultural, and geographic heritage of Swede-Finns across the world. Through visual storytelling, historical image restoration, and editorial design, this project bridges 19th‑century Finland with present‑day diaspora communities.

This case study outlines the conceptual, photographic, and design decisions that shaped the magazine and its role in honoring Johan Ludvig Runeberg—Finland’s national poet—and the communities who carry his cultural legacy.

Applied advanced Photoshop enhancement techniques to produce the clearest image of Johan Ludvig Runeberg to date.

Integrated Finnish forest imagery behind Runeberg as a visual nod to his poem Vårt Land ("Our Land"), now the Finnish National Anthem.

Edited modern forest photography to match the mid‑1800s visual era, creating seamless historical continuity between subject and backdrop.

Composed three visual scenes of Finland, juxtaposing late‑1800s landscapes with scenes from modern Finland.

Built an emotional bridge through imagery grounded in Our Land and in the mission of the International Order of Runeberg, whose identity is tied to Runeberg’s reverence for nature and national spirit.

Introduced a sculptural bust of Runeberg to avoid repeating portrait imagery and to establish balanced editorial pacing.

Edited heritage trip photos to recreate the feeling of daily life during Runeberg’s era—focusing on domestic spaces, townships, and landscapes.

Positioned imagery to explore a core thematic question: What quiet moments shaped Runeberg’s writing and worldview?

Transformed a contemporary photo of water from a heritage tour into a textured, aged visual reminiscent of historical photography.

Highlighted water as a symbol of Finnish identity—reflecting mariner culture, migration pathways, and the journey of Swede-Finns from Sweden to Finland and eventually North America.

Visualized the founding principles of the Order, influenced by temperance societies that supported immigrant well‑being.

Included archival imagery of early lodges, surrounding environments, and outdoor activities preserved from Old‑World traditions.

Expanded the lodge narrative into the real terrains and towns where members lived.

Applied an old‑film visual architecture to evoke nostalgia, unify the editorial tone, and communicate historical depth.

Featured the mining town where many Swede‑Finns worked and lived.

Styled the spread in an Old Hollywood tone, aligning with the era when this lodge was most active.

Customized an archival Salt Lake City chapter letterhead to reference Bingham, grounding the spread in real community history.

Built a clean, information‑forward map system showing the distribution of lodges across the U.S. and Canada.

Highlighted the geographic reach, cultural influence, and community support network these lodges offered—particularly in financially challenging times.

Dedicated a spread to the contemporary celebration of Runeberg Day, still observed in Finland.

Emphasized how Finnish traditions transcend time—connecting Runeberg’s legacy to Finnish independence, cultural fortitude, and Swedish-Finnish identity