Archive and Collections
Safeguarding Switzerland’s photographic heritage is one of Fotostiftung Schweiz’s core tasks. Since it was founded in 1971, it has built up one of the most comprehensive and representative collections of Swiss photography, from the beginnings to the present. It looks after numerous nationally and internationally significant photographers’ archives, as well as selected photo archives from companies, organisations or private individuals with a connection to Switzerland. The Helvetica holdings are supplemented by major works of international photography that were added during Fotostiftung Schweiz’s first decades. The collection is constantly expanding.
Fotostiftung Schweiz maintains over 100 outstanding photographers’ archives or partial archives. These lifetime and posthumous bequests include negatives, original prints, contact copies, image files, publication records and other documents. Alongside photographers’ archives, Fotostiftung Schweiz also takes charge of photo archives from companies, organisations and private individuals.
Alongside its own extensive collection, Fotostiftung Schweiz looks after the Friends of Fotostiftung Schweiz collection, the photography collection of the Swiss Confederation, the Balgrist collection and the Volkart Foundation collection.