Patrick Borer16.09.2025Franziska Möllinger was not only the first woman to work as a photographer in Switzerland, she was also a pioneer of the use of photographs as templates for prints. There are only two original photographs by Möllinger in circulation today, the second of which surfaced in 2024.
Matthieu Péry08.07.2025Heinrich Schiffmann (1872-1904) was an avid traveller who voyaged around the world twice. Believe it or not, these lengthy voyages were supposedly prescribed by his doctors. The Swiss globe-trotter’s visits to far-flung places reflect a fascination of the era, bordering on mania, for round-the-world trips.
Manuel Walser30.06.2025Photographer Eric Bachmann (1940-2019) shaped the perception of many events in recent Swiss history through his pictures and themes. One of his standout projects was his coverage of the 1968 Globus riots in Zurich and the unique way it combined informative value with aesthetic quality.
Dominik Landwehr05.06.2025Johann Philipp Ziegler was a merchant from Winterthur. In the late 19th century, his company was the biggest exporter of Oriental carpets from what is now Iran.
Saro Pepe19.12.2024In its early days, photography was often seen as a male domain. However, some females were also among the pioneers of the new art form in the 19th century, including in Switzerland. One of them was Regula Rathgeb, who even wanted to set up her own studio.
Murielle Schlup31.10.2023Thanks to digital technology, the creation and sharing of portraits is now popular, cheap, and almost obligatory. Before the advent of photography, this task was fulfilled by portrait painting. We take a look at its origins and how it evolved.
Dominik Landwehr07.09.2023In 1960 an unusual camera came onto the market: the Tessina, made in Grenchen. It was the world’s smallest 35mm camera at the time. Although never a bestseller, it proved popular with some of the intelligence services.
Adi Kälin03.08.2023Over 180 years ago, Switzerland’s first photographer, Johann Baptist Isenring, wowed the public and newspapers with his picture and took the oldest existing photograph of Zurich. Although Isenring was one of the best-known and most prolific photographers of his time, very few of his pictures still exist today.
