The Swedish-Romanian prince Constantin Karadja lived a dramatic life. He was the grandson of the brännvin king L. O. Smith and grew up in a cosmopolitan environment. Under the threat […]
Charlie, Otto, Lucie and Mary – the names of L. O. Smith’s four children. They grew up to become strong, independent individuals with creative and cultural interests. For a long […]
L.O. Smith’s short temper is well documented. He had countless arguments in his life, with everyone from businessmen to governments. Read about five of his most spectacular disputes. Smith’s humiliating […]
At the age of 23, Lars Olsson worked in the Old Town of Stockholm. This is where he spotted the 17-year-old Marie-Louise Collin, and he could not take his eyes […]
On October 12, 1836, farmers Lusse Pehrsdotter and Ola Persson had their third child in Kiaby, Skåne, east of Kristianstad in southern Sweden. They gave the child the name Lars […]
On July 21 this year, Lars Olsson’s parents bought the farm Sjöarpsgården in Blekinge and so became landowners. The building had two floors and was 3.2 meters high, 18.29 meters […]
When Lars Olsson was seven years old, the consul Carl Smith came to collect a debt. Smith was a wholesaler and one of Karlshamn’s most prominent people. As Lars was […]
The next day, Lars reflected on the terrible state of many people he had seen out at night. He set up four principles that he would stick to throughout his […]
In 1873, Smith and his family started renting a large property at Långholmen island, just south of Stockholm city. He invested substantially in the house, turning it into something truly […]
After the commercial success of his early shop work, L.O. Smith was keen to pursue his career. When his mother died in 1853, he decided to go to Stockholm. Through […]
L.O. Smith needed a job. At Skeppsholmen in the Old Town of Stockholm, he ran into an acquaintance from home. Apparently the acquaintance had such a bad hangover that he […]
In 1877, the businessman Jean Bolinder built The Bolinderska Palace next to the Grand Hotel in Stockholm. The architect behind the magnificent building was Helgo Zettervall. L.O. Smith was impressed […]