Unternavigation

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’m not an angel by profession

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

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.

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.

Last modification 25.11.2025

Top of page

Contact

Swiss National Library
Prints and Drawings Department
Hallwylstrasse 15
3003 Bern
Switzerland
Phone +41 58 462 89 71
E-mail

Print contact

https://www.nb.admin.ch/content/snl/en/home/about-us/pdd/visual-treasures.html

Main Navigation

Search

Breadcrumb

Visual treasures

Contact