When Farsta became Gustavsberg
In the 1640's a brick works was
founded on the same place where the Gustavsberg
china factory later was built. The property Farsta
was owned by Gustav Gabrielson
Oxenstierna. The brick works was founded when the
houses at Farsta should be built. The bricks
became by the time demanded and the brick works got
orders from several castles around the lake Mälaren.
Oxenstierna was dead at the time when
his own building was ready to use. The widow Maria de la Gardie
wanted to honour her man and changed the name from
Farsta to Gustavsberg.
The production of china started in
1825. Among the 40 employees there was French
throwers, German journeymens and workers from the
brick works. The production of bricks ended in the
1930's.
The ships arrived to Gustavsberg habour with wood
and clay. Still today the ships from England deliver
clay for production of WC and washbasins.
It was not easy to run the factory
until the 1850's. The factory accomplished
modernisation which lead to increasing production
and profitable activity. At the turn of the century
900 persons worked at the factory and in the place
Gustavsberg there lived ca 2
300 persons. In the end of 1890's the factory hired
artists to raise the artistical quality of the
products they produced. Artist like Helmer Osslund
and Gunnar Wennerberg showed the way for what later
should become a creative place to work at for young and
promising artist within the field of porcelain and works
of art! |
