Abandoned & Industrial Photography

by Björn Sahlberg

Ångsågen

steam power saw to blinds

Hej!

What we have here are the remains of a steam powered saw mill, “ångsågverk” in Swedish. It was constructed in the late 1800s as one of the first businesses in this rural community located in northern Uppland. Besides sawing there was a carpentry shop as well as steam powered planers.

During the mill's life the Swedish pavilion for the 1929 World Exhibition in Barcelona was manufactured here. The pavilion's quirky tower (in fact a kind of beacon) was constructed in modules, then shipped to Barcelona and erected on location. Later on – quite possibly after steam had gone out of fashion – a small scale manufacturing of wood products took place here. Among the products were wooden Venetian blinds.

Today the mill rests quietly and is slowly being engulfed by the forest.

The mill workshop with its very nice chimney at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

The mill workshop with its very nice chimney. But I strongly suspect that the corrugated roof is not the original one. July 2013.

The workshop again. And again, that chimney at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

The workshop again. And again, that chimney. July 2013.

Workshop backside. Not all chimneys were made equal ... at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Workshop backside. Not all chimneys were made equal ... July 2013.

Workshop boiler room at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. May 2017.

Workshop boiler room. May 2017.

The corner of the short end of the main building at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. May 2017.

The corner of the short end of the main building. Despite its utilitarian nature quite a bit of work was put in to details such as the window frames. May 2017.

The short end of the main building, facing the lake at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

The short end of the main building, facing the lake. This structure is dating back to around the turn of the former century. July 2013.

Tracks and bogeys at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Tracks and bogeys. July 2013.

Parts of the main building is coming down at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Parts of the main building is coming down. July 2013.

Workshop machinery at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Workshop machinery. The one in front was manufactured by Verktygsindustri in Gnosjö in 1948. July 2013.

Same Gnosjö machinery, different angle at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Same Gnosjö machinery, different angle. July 2013.

Begär alltid Fyffes. An old banana box from A-B Banan-kompaniet in the workshop at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. May 2017.

“Begär alltid Fyffes”. An old banana box from A-B Banan-kompaniet in the workshop. May 2017.

Locker room, without lockers at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Locker room, without lockers. July 2013.

Countdown or countup, that's the question at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Countdown or countup, that's the question. July 2013.

Upper floor of the workshop at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Upper floor of the workshop. July 2013.

The house-in-the-house on the upper floor of the workshop (shot trough a dusty window) at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

The house-in-the-house on the upper floor of the workshop (shot trough a dusty window). July 2013.

A very sturdy work table in the workshop on the ground floor at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. May 2017.

A very sturdy work table in the workshop on the ground floor. May 2017.

Belts and wheels and rust. Mmmm. at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Belts and wheels and rust. Mmmm. July 2013.

Some splendid craftmanship in this large wooden flywheel at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

Some splendid craftmanship in this large wooden flywheel. July 2013.

The short end of the wood storage at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. July 2013.

The short end of the wood storage with the manufacturer's name in paint. July 2013.

Wood storage interior at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. September 2020.

Wood storage interior. September 2020.

Wood storage exterior at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. September 2020.

Wood storage exterior. September 2020.

The sågverk interior at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. April 2021.

The sågverk interior. April 2021.

My good friend Pavel enjoying the view through the collapsed wall of the main building at Ångsågen. Uppland, Sweden. April 2021.

My good friend Pavel enjoying the view through the collapsed wall of the main building. April 2021.

Technicalities

July 2013 – April 2021

October 2016

February 2023

Hasselblad 500c/m Zeiss Planar 80 mm F/2.8 Zeiss Distagon 50 mm F/4 Kodak Ektar 100 Topcon Horseman 980 Topcon 105 mm F/3.5 Kodak Portra 160 Ilford HP5+ (at EV 400) Imacon Flextight Photo

Ångsågen Meets ...

... Golden Tiger

I met with multi-artist Anna-Karin Svedjestrand at Galleri Mellanrum in December 2018 when we were both part of the autumn exhibition there. I fell for her paintings that she used as a backdrop for her performance and she liked my wall paper work on display. Soon a deal was made. She would trade one of her paintings for my Countdown or countup, that's the question on one of her walls. Eventually we closed the deal and now “Golden Tiger” is residing with me and Anna-Karin's kitchen will never be quite the same again.

June 2019, and beyond.

The kitchen wall, without a wall.

The kitchen wall, without a wall.

Some filler needed.

Some filler needed.

A black base coat later (to make seams less visible) the wallpaper was applied.

A black base coat later (to make any seams less visible) the wallpaper was applied.
Photo by Anna-Karin Svedjestrand.

And voilà! A wall on wall.

And voilà! A wall on wall.

... Galleri Mellanrum

I was very happy when Countdown or countup, that's the question got the chance to be a part of Galleri Mellanrum two year anniversary exhibition in December 2018. Instead of a regular print me and the gallery's curator Mats decided to make a wall paper. As it was my very first practical experience with wall paper of almost any kind I was nervous concerning the result, but it turned out well in the end. The piece had to make way for the spring exhibition in 2019.

December 2018 – May 2019.

The wall on a wall at Galleri Mellanrum.

The wall on wall at Galleri Mellanrum.

Exhibition Print

Ångsågen” was among the selected works for the ASKA.nu anniversary exhibition.

This print has been sold.

Print Ångsågen. Uppland. Juli 2013.

Ångsågen

Uppland
Juli 2013