The J.A. Grundberg Foundation for Wood Oriented Furniture Design
To commemorate her grandfather, the master carpenter J. A. Grundberg, Gunda Svedung has made a donation to benefit students of furniture design oriented towards wood. She has also donated an extensive furniture archive which has been placed on Campus Steneby.
Johan Alfred Grundberg was born in 1873 and grew up in Munkedal under simple conditions. In 1888–1889 he studied at Slöjdföreningens skola (which was founded in 1848 and after a number of name changes and reorganizations was finally incorporated into what is today HDK-Valand). Before he started his own furniture workshop in Gothenburg, he worked for, among others, the well-renowned furniture company A. Selander & Söner.
In 1899, he moved with his wife to a newly built house, next to where Överåsvallen is today. At that time, he had a workshop both in the house and together with another cabinetmaker on Stampgatan. When that collaboration ended, he moved his entire business to his home where, in addition to designing and making furniture for clients, he created furniture for himself and his wife and their five daughters. During his professional life, J. A. Grundberg's furniture style developed in step with the trends and changed from eclecticism and art nouveau to funkism, while always maintaining a personal style.
Gunda Svedung has written a book about her grandfather, Möbelsnickaren J. A. Grundberg. After diligent work in archives and museums, she has been able to compile as complete a picture of his life and work as possible.