Welcome to Blå Älv!

Blå Älv AB is a specialized bookshop within the art field. At Blå Älv you can find both antiquarian and new literature in all its different forms and in different genres.
Genre as; painting, graphic, water colour, sculpture, ceramic, porcelain, designed furniture, textile/ fabrics, architecture and photo etc.  We also stock collectible items such as small published titles, signed books and dedications done by authors and artists.
Auction catalogues, magazines and papers from all over the world from the early 20th century until today.

Art at Blå Älv are sold with a good provinience concerning artist or historical background of the items. Art sold at Blå Älv is selected by arthistorian and bookshop keeper Thérèse Östlund.

We can also offer our customers gifts and office supplies from wellknown brands and artists to provide the best of quality.

We are proud to present our own Blå Älv Design products such as art-cards, mouse mats, bookmarks, pens, notebooks etc.

We are even more prouder to have copyright of the female artist Inga Kihlman´s (1920-2003) fantastic design. IngKa Design. Enjoy!

Why Blå Älv is Blå Älv...
My cousin Kicki and I used to buy old cameras in antique shops while in our twenties. We just loved the old photo cards and vintage clothes and jewellery. Lending astonishing outfits from my grandmother Inga, wich she had inherited from her aunt Elise, we took black and white photo´s using ourselfs as objects. Anxious for the result we did all the developing ourself in the dark camera lab. To your left you have me in aunt "Lisen´s" 1920 black evening pearl embrodering dress and jewellery. Elise, or Lisen as her nickname was, was a beautiful woman and great entrepaneur. She was born in Skåne in 1879 and held a exam from a prestigeful Handcraft Art school  with highest grades. Together with som friends she opened a fabric shop in Malmö in the beginning of 1900. She was incredible beautiful, intelligent and courted by many gentlemen as we can tell from her personal photocard album. But she turned them all down and concentrated on her business. Lisen designed patterns for carpets and fabrics, jewellery, hats and clothes until her death. She was a creativ and inventiones entreprenaur woman. Sadely enough she lost all her belongings and wealth in the Krüger stock crash. Lisen died alone, unmarried and poor in Stockholm by the age of 96.
My grandmother the artist Inga Kihlman (1920-2002) and aunt Elise are my main idols and forthcomers. Without them there would be no Blå Älv.

Come in contact with me? Please send me an e-mail: therese@blaalv.com

Thérèse Östlund - art historian, art bookshopkeeper and art dealer