Visual treasures

The Prints and Drawings Department holds remarkable visual objects of many kinds: historical and contemporary prints, drawings and photographs, posters, images of historic monuments and works of art. In “Visual treasures”, members of staff from the Department present some striking discoveries and invite you to explore rarely seen or hitherto unknown marvels.

Uniforms aren’t uniform

Despite the name, the uniforms worn by Swiss soldiers were anything but. Adolf Pochon’s watercolours reveal this remarkable array of military dress across the centuries.

A photographic road movie through the Bregaglia Valley with Rudolf Zinggeler

Album No. 6 forms part of a unique collection of 146 photo albums containing vintage prints that take us on a journey from the alpine pastures above Lake Sils over the Maloja Pass and down into the Bregaglia Valley.

The evolution of Swiss orphanages

The built heritage of marginalised groups and people without political representation is often poorly documented. This also holds true for orphanages. A look into the archives.

An etcher’s world of colour

The intaglio prints of Hans Eggimann (1872–1929) combine inventiveness with meticulous craftsmanship. His bookplates – also known as ex libris – are splendid miniature treasures that show a refined sensibility.

Collaborative engravings of horned creatures

A bull, a rhino and a spiky creature. In 1988, friends Jean Tinguely and Bernhard Luginbühl produced three collaborative prints, maintaining a constant dialogue throughout.

Can the war be drawn to a close?

During the Second World War, Alexander M. Kaiser illustrated pamphlets designed to convince the German people of the senselessness of war.

Printing a rainbow

An innovative printing method makes colour come alive in the works of master screen printer Lorenz Boegli. Like on a display screen, red, green and blue are mixed to produce all the other colours.

I’m not an angel by profession

‘Feminist collages’ from 1974 give us an insight into perceptions of women at the time.

The power of colour: two female portraits in dialogue

Two prints created around 200 years apart show how colour helps make works unique – from Selina Trepp’s modern woodcuts to coloured images of traditional dress from the 19th century.

An architectural treasure chest: the work of Henry B. von Fischer

Henry B. von Fischer breathed new life into Baroque architecture in Bern at the turn of the 20th century. He left his mark on the capital city with impressive villas and urban planning ideas.

An artist joins the circus

Join Marc Gonthier as he ventures into the exciting world of the circus. The NL takes a closer look at the work of this nearly forgotten Vaudois artist.

Capturing the magnificence of “abominable ice mountains”

The Wehrli brothers defined Swiss Alpine photography at the turn of the 20th century, revealing the beauty of the High Alps and the courage of mountain climbers to the general public.

Blast from the past – early 20th century advertisements from Wander

Sixty vintage advertising panels from Dr. Wander AG, housed in the National Library’s Prints and Drawings Department, give us a glimpse into marketing messages from a bygone era.

Wood – medium and motif in the work of Emil Zbinden

Throughout his career, the artist Emil Zbinden produced woodcuts and wood engravings. His works invite the onlooker to touch the wood, feel its texture, and engage with the physicality of the subject depicted.

The mushrooms of Hans Walty: a feast for the eyes and the palate

Hans Walty’s mushroom illustrations inspire us to spend more time in the forest – and the kitchen. Proceed with caution, however, as not all of the mushrooms depicted are fit for human consumption!

An elephant’s capers: behind the circus poster by Claude Kuhn

Circus elephants – and their elegant jumps – live on in a poster by Bernese designer Claude Kuhn.

The Crocrodrome: the birth and death of a monumental sculpture

In his artist's books and diaries, Bernhard Luginbühl reflected on his work and friendships – including accounts of the “Crocrodrome”.

“The Jungfrau with a Japanese twist”: Hiroshi Yoshida's views of Switzerland

Hiroshi Yoshida's view of the Jungfrau mountain fuses Japanese and European traditions of landscape depiction.

Helvetia – personification of Switzerland and mother of the nation

Discover the many different representations of Helvetia from the Scheidegger collection. These depictions were particularly widespread after the federal state was founded, 175 years ago.

Gerstner Original: Who's the rightful owner of this Swiss typeface?

Karl Gerstner’s typographic designs form a central part of his work, but there are open questions concerning the copyright.

“Switzerland – an immense Kursaal”

The spirit of the Belle Époque on paper: Paul Bouvier’s impressive original plans for the Kursaal Interlaken give an insight into leisure architecture circa 1900.

Two broad-shouldered boxers juxtaposed to nine slender women

In 2002, the year she made her nine “Donne di Venezia”, Ticino native Fiorenza Bassetti produced her two images, both entitled “Pugile”. A juxtaposition.

Save the Greina! Bryan Thurston‘s political and artistic engagement

Through his artistic work and political activism, artist and architect Bryan Cyril Thurston played a major role in the Greina plateau obtaining protected status in 1996.

From fluorescent seas of fog to the tiniest snow crystals

Discover Andreas Züst’s photographs of seas of fog, the wonders of the skies and tiny snow and ice structures.

The eternal standard-bearer

Ernst Linck was a leading light of the Bern art scene but as his works steadily disappear, his name is being forgotten.

Doris Stauffer’s swimming trunks campaign for women’s rights

Doris Stauffer was artistically, educationally and politically involved in the women’s rights movement, and leaves behind an extensive and eclectic archive.

Prussian precision maps a ruined castle

In the 1890s, survey photography came to Switzerland, and surveyors began eagerly documenting the nation’s built heritage.

A visceral library: offal in Daniel Spoerri’s recipe folders

In Daniel Spoerri’s library of recipe folders, offal is presented artistically as a central element in the transformation of food.

L’Ultima Cena: a “sweet” farewell for Nouveau Réalisme

In 1970, Daniel Spoerri serves up a lavish last supper for the “Nouveaux Réalistes” group of artists, with dishes reflecting their art of the preceding decade.

Swiss National Library

Prints and Drawings Department
Hallwylstrasse 15
Switzerland - 3003 Bern