J.V. Svensons Fotogenköksfabrik by Ross Mellows Paraffin stoves were smelly, smokey and inefficient in the later part of the nineteenth century and the drive was on to improve on the wick stove. Ludvig Holm, a worker at AB Separator in Stockholm was working on a new type of stove but did not succeed in solving the problems. His work, however was a source of inspiration for one of his work colleagues - F.W. Lindqvist. Lindqvist and his brother designed a wickless pressure stove where the paraffin was vapourized before combustion, reducing the amount of smoke and greatly improving heating capacity. They were granted a patent for the stove at the end of the 1880's. It is thought by some that the invention was bought from the Dane, Tretow-Loof. The first stoves that Lindqvist built while at AB Separator were sold to family and acquaintances. In 1892 he formed a partnership with factory owner, Johan Viktor Svenson & in a small smithy in central Stockholm manufacture began in earnest in March the same year. The firm was called J.V. Svensons Fotogenköksfabrik and the new brand was PRIMUS. The first stoves were sold by the manufacturers, selling door to door and to shivering market workers. However they soon formed an agreement with master salesman B.A. Hjorth whose company was already marketing the newly invented universal pipe wrench and adjustable spanner under the BAHCO trademark. The agreement gave him sole sales rights. Hjorth had great vision and saw the chance to introduce the stove onto the world market. In their first year of manufacturer Primus stoves were exported to Norway and were an immediate success. It was the following year in Norway that the Primus stove was seen by Soeren Condrup. Norwegian Condrup, was a partner in a newly formed British company, Moeller & Condrup, who dealt in fancy goods and household woodware. He was on holiday with his wife and while doing a round of the shops in Larvik & Skien they saw a demonstration of the Primus. Condrup was so impressed with the new invention he contacted B.A. Hjorth & Co. and ordered 100 stoves as a trial. They became sole selling agents for the United Kingdom and Colonial markets, a huge boost to the sales of the Primus. In 1893 the great explorer Fridtjof Nansen took Primus stoves with him to Greenland and the Arctic. In a very short time the name of "Primus" became a household word throughout the world. Svenson's quickly expanded their product range to include blowlamps. In return C.R. Nyberg, the inventor and manufacturer of the blowlamp decided he was now free to make paraffin stoves. This prompted Svenson to write to Nyberg complaining that the "Viktoria" stove infringed on his patent. When the patent expired and other brands started to compete, Svenson's had to accept that the term "Primus" was to become the generic name for all these stoves - but the genuine Primus stove - according to Hjorth's advertisements "the finest stove in the world" - was the one manufactured at J.V. Svensons Fotogenköksfabrik. Svenson's Letter to Nyberg (Click on picture for larger image) The smithy rapidly became too small to meet demand and by 1893 a new factory was built with a workforce of 40. This factory burnt down but was rebuilt. In 1898 Svensons incorporated & changed their name to AB Primus. By 1907 demand again outstripped factory capacity and production was again moved, this time to a new plant on the island of Lilla Essingen. J.V. Svenson had already left the company in 1904 but J.W. Lindqvist stayed on in a managerial capacity until 1918 when B.A. Hjorth took over and AB Primus became part of the Bahco Group. Early adverts for the "Primus" (Click on picture for larger image) Information on this page - thanks to Primus AB and Peter Benscher, City Hardware.
221 (Sveriges industri - dess stormän och befrämjare / Del 2) is it possible to translate "thats" ... ?
As you might see the factory address in 1892 was Klara Norra Kyrkogata 17 and the address in the add was Klara Norra Kyrkogata 5. My guess is that the company’s office was located at that address because it is more or less a block between them. The factory moved to Kungsgatan 44 in 1893. These addresses are within walking distance in central Stockholm. Michael
Berndt August Hjorth - Stockholm, Sweden. The story of Berndt August Hjort, Stockholm Sweden | British mechanical corkscrews ...In 1889 a young man opened a tool and machinery shop in downtown Stockholm. The adress was Klara Östra Kyrkogata no 5 - a lowend adress at the time. However, this was the start for a significant entrepreneurial achievement and creation of Swedish industrial history.... or mistake... could You translate part with Primus No 6?
1880 Under slutet av 1880-talet experimenterar arbetare på företaget Separator på Kungsholmen med konstruktion av ett fotogenkök utan veke. Bland dem var F W Lindqvist på Agnegatan 7G - i ett litet rum på sex kvadratmeter. 1891 Lindqvist får patent på en brännare och en luftpump. 1892 Den första industriella tillverkningen sker på "J V Svenssons fotogenköksfabrik" vid Klara Norra Kyrkogata 77 i Stockholm. 1892 B A Hjorth & Co på Klara Östra 5 får ensamrätt till försäljningen . 1893 Fabriken flyttas till Kungsgatan 44.
I will think it might be a mistake in the text. The two advertisments has the address Klara Norra Kyrkogata 5 which is most logical to be right. Klara Norra Kyrkogata, Klara Östra Kyrkogata, Klara Södra Kyrkogata and Klara Västra Kyrkogata is in the same area in central Stockholm. Norra means North, Östra means East, Södra means South and Västra means West. I have only read what was written in the document you uploaded which is from the time and I assume that that information was correct around 1900. Klara Norra Kyrkogata 17 or 77? Klara Östra Kyrkogata 5 or Klara Norra Kyrkogata 5? Easy to misread 17 and 77. Michael
This is the best translation I can give of the old Swedish language in the text. Primus n:o 0, 1, 2 and 6 together with Petrolia are intended as cooking appliances. Amongst these Primus n:o 6, the newest developed, that burns soundless and has because of that also the chance to hit a world record. Michael
Thank You... Important question is from what year is that text... post 1896 pre 1903 Primus No 5 not existed yet on Primus No 6 is PRI-logo-MUS ---------- it is easy to say 1897 - but ...??? all intersted readers real photo here and here
My guess is that the text is from 1897 because if later the sales figures for 1897 and the years afterward should have been stated also. Michael
The publication from which this page comes appears to have been produced for the "1897 års Allmänna Utställning i Stockholm" (1897 General Exhibition in Stockholm). The Svensons page is very informative, almost as good as having an 1896/7 catalogue! @cmb56 @gieorgijewski
