Knut Ström 1887-1971

Knut Egron Ström was born on 7th April 1887 in Piteå. He was a Swedish theatre director and set designer.

Ström attended the Technical School (Tekniska Skolan), Stockholm (1903). In 1904 he worked alongside the decorative painter Carl Grabow (1847-1922) before being employed by the Royal Theatre Studio (Kungliga Teaterns Ateljé), Stockholm (1905-1910). Ström then moved Berlin to work with H. Brausch at the Theater des Westens (1910-1913) and was a set painter, director and manager of the Schauspielhaus, Düsseldorf (1913-1919). In 1919 he returned to Sweden and was employed by the Lorensbergsteatern, Gothenburg - becoming their manager in 1924. He was then director at Gothenburg City Theater from 1934 until his retirement in 1958.

Ström works was included in the 1936 'Swedish Stage Decorative Art 1916-1936' exhibition at the Drottningholms Theatre Museum (which also showed at the Skånska Konstmuseum, Lund and Charlottenborg, Copenhagen); the (1949) exhibition 'Paintings with an Emphasis on Theatre' (Tavlor med Tonvict på Teater) held in Hälingborg's City Theatre and, in 1951, at a theatre exhibition held at Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm.

Examples of Ström's work are held in the collections of the Performing Arts Museum (Scenkonstmuseet), Stockholm and the Gothenburg Theatre Museum.

Ström was awarded the Theatre Association's gold medal in 1969 for 'extraordinary artistic work'. He was married (in 1913) to the painter Anna Ström (1890-1968) and is the father of the production designer Carl Johan Ström and the grandfather of the musician Ted Ström.

Knut Ström died in Täby on 4th April 1971, aged 83.