The Printer’s Home

During the 1840s, newspaper publishing exploded in popularity in Sweden. New liberal ideas influenced public opinion and paved the way for a modern era of freedom of the press and expression, democracy and the rights of the individual. The Printer’s Home recreates a lower middle-class home from this time. The owner of the printer`s lived here with his family, and his workplace was next door.

Just like many homes in the past, the Printer’s Home has two entrances. Those who worked in the building entered via the kitchen entrance, while guests entered through the main residential entrance. Guests entered directly into the sitting-room with its patterned green wallpaper and red upholstered chairs. The chairs were mostly kept covered with simple covers to protect them from dirt and from sunlight, which would fade them.

The furniture placed near the walls and windows but was moved forward when in use. This was common in an era when light was scarce. The home also has two bookcases, which are filled with modern literature and cookbooks. The printer’s family had more books than most people, with many households owning only a Bible and a hymnal.

Growing numbers of readers and female authors

By the 1840s, literacy had increased in Sweden and more and more people were reading fiction. Reading aloud was common in the home, often while doing other chores such as needlework or stuffing sausages.

Female writers such as Fredrika Bremer and Emilie Flygare-Carlén became increasingly popular. Bremer, who was also a women’s rights activist, used her books to criticise the fact that women did not have the same access to education as men, and that they were not allowed to develop as individuals – instead, they were “baked like buns in the same batch”.

Citizenship and life as a craftsman

In order to practise their craft or engage in trade, printers needed a permit, known as a franchise. Those who were granted a franchise were called burghers, and this involved both rights and obligations. Burghers sat on the city council, paid taxes and manned the fire service. Only men could become burghers and practise crafts. A widow could continue her late husband’s business, but if she remarried, ownership passed to her new husband.

Different professional groups were organised into guilds. Printers did not belong to a guild, but they had a similar association called the Letterpress Printers’ Society. Books, newspapers and small printed items such as visiting cards were printed at the Printer’s Workshop.

Its own little garden with a growing plot

The Printer’s Home has a garden with a growing plot. For slightly better-off citizens, having a small garden of one’s own was quite common – even in the city. The garden was enclosed by a tall green fence to keep out stray animals. Beans, Jerusalem artichokes and rhubarb were grown here. At the far end is a summer house for drinking coffee or tea on Sundays.

Reverse-tacked and newly printed original wallpaper

The building was built in the 1730s at Södermalm in Stockholm and originally housed a provision shop and a home. In 1929, the building was due to be demolished to make way for an apartment building. It was donated to Skansen instead, at the time when the Old Town Quarter was being built. When the building was moved to Skansen, a printing press and a home were installed in the building.

The wallpapers are reprints of old originals that were preserved when the house was dismantled in the 1930s. The wallpapers are reverse-tacked to the wall, a technique that was common in the first half of the 19th century where the wallpaper is stretched onto the wall using tacks and linen cord. The house’s tiled stoves were made in Stockholm. The summer house in the garden was built in 1734, and comes from Katarina Parish.