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Graham Brothers Elektriska Hissar AB​ was an elevator and applications manufacturer that existed in Stockholm and Sundbyberg, Sweden between 1887 and up untill 1962.

History[]

Alexander and Patrick Graham moved to Sweden from Scottland (U.K) and started a sawmill in Visby, Gotland. The main purpose was to export woods to the U.K. as the demand for wood was high. But as the locals protested against the stagnation of woods, the sawmill turned into a workshop for a short period of time, making various kind of applications, such as railway-related stuff, steam-driven products and since 1983, asbestos products under the "Graham Brothers" brand.

Alexander Graham once lived for a while in the USA and worked for Westinghouse elevators. He brought it back to Sweden and they finally decided to start manufacturing elevators in 1887, moving to Stockholm to open their workshop for elevator manufacturing.

Graham Brother's Hissar grew considerably over time and was too big for their workshop in Kungsholmen. They moved to Lilla Ursvik (in today's Sundbyberg) in 1907 were they could expand their factory grounds gradually.

In the 1930s, however, Sweden was hit by an economical crisis and the company could no longer survive on it's own. It was sold to Elektromekano, wich was in turn owned by LM Ericsson. LM Ericsson sold Elektromekano (and Graham Brothers with it) to ASEA in 1948, which already had an elevator manufacuring of it's own. ASEA kept running Graham Brothers in paralell with ASEA Elevators up untill 1962, when ASEA merged the two forming ASEA-Graham.

The factory in Sundbyberg was hit by a fire in 1936. A new factory was built in 1937 and a test tower was built in 1950. Asea-Graham used the factory as it's base and it was the developement site for the Hydronic range of KONE Hydraulic elevators until KONE moved to Kista at some point. The factory grounds can still be seen as of today.

Graham Brothers also manufactured neon signs under the brand name "Grahams NEON". Several advertisements and neon signs manufactured by Grahams NEON can be seen around Stockholm city.

Notable installations[]

Graham Brothers installed many elevators in the Scandinavian countries and also exported elevators to Germany, Romania and other East European countries as well as to Russia.

  • Hellstrandska Huset, Stockholm, Sweden (1887 & 1912, the first electrical and first flat passenger elevator)
  • Bünsowska Huset, Stockholm, Sweden (1888)
  • Nordiska Kompaniet, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Köpmangatan 16, Söderhamn, Sweden
  • Stadsgården Railway Station (Saltsjöbanan), Stockholm, Sweden (1936, escalator)
  • Stadsgårdshissen (One of many public elevators that went up along the cliff to Södermalm from Slussen)
  • Fregattvägen, Lidingö, Sweden (1961)
  • Villa Bergalid, Dalarna, Sweden (1900, claims to be the oldest original elevator in Sweden. Now uses as a dumbwaiter[1])

Notes and references[]

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