AGA, Milles & TinTin

In the pretty suburb of Lidingö, outside Stockholm you'll find the head office of the Swedish industrial gas company AGA, founded in 1904. As Lidingö also is the home of sculptor Carl Milles' Millesgården (Milles' Mansion) one of his sculptures (Hand of God) can be seen adorning the lawn outside the offices.

The office is situated in a vast industrial area called Dalénum - named after one of the company's prominent figures, Nobel Prize laureate in physics Gustaf Dalén, the man who invented the world renowned AGA cooker in 1922 - with many quite lovely looking red brick buildings. It feels like the time somehow has stand still there, in an esthetically very appealing way.

I've only briefly read about the company AGA - since 1999 German owned - details surrounding heavy industrial companies isn't exactly one of my core interests, but from what I read it seems like an interesting company for various reasons, and well before its time in the early 20th century regarding employment conditions and worker's benefits. More information can for example be found at the company's website

This bust of above mention Dalén, also outside the offices, is IMHO rather heinous, the hairstyle makes him look like a crazy and ageing TinTin, whilst the glasses (he went blind through a gas explosion in 1912) makes him look like he's planning to lay in a sunbed or dressed up to scare small children and grown ups alike at Halloween. Why on earth did they chose to depict him like that, I don't know...