MUSEOS DE LA SEDA / SILK MUSEUMS

valescence and once he regained his health he travelled to Lyon. On 28th May 1829, he writes: … For over a month I have been to this the home of silk mills and try to absorb as much as I possibly can, and in order to be able to see and learn, one must not be a foreigner, because there is great resentment, and I am therefore no longer Swedish, but a Frenchman from Strasbourg where I work with my masters at the factory branch … 3 K. A. Almgren managed to buy and bring home Jacquard machines to Sweden, where they were, until he could start his own mill, at first installed at Mazer & Co. In May, 1833, he was authorised by Kom- merskollegium (the National Board of Trade) to manufacture silks, Madrasweaves (half-silks), silk ribbons, and sewing silk. In Novem- ber, he reports that he had nine looms operating during the year and the year after he had 16 looms operating. The first mill was situated at Svartens gränd near Mosebacke, Södermalm. 4 Here, Almgren rented several halls as workshops and, initially, also lodgings for his 3 Letter to C.G. Indebetou, copy at SKAASoM. 4 The Häcklefjäll district, lot No. 22 “fabriksrum” (’factory hall’), the residence was in No. 20 (Mantalsup- pgifter, 1835). Unless specifically stated, information on the properties orig- inates from Bergström 2007. 5 Nyberg, Klas (ed.), Tillsalu:Stockholms textila handel och manufaktur 1722−1846 .2010,p.69. 152