Photographers’ archives Archive and Collections

Fotostiftung Schweiz takes charge of archives from major photographers with a connection to Switzerland, in order to preserve them, critically incorporate them and make them accessible. The emphasis is on photographers whose work has made a significant contribution to the development or revitalisation of photographic styles. It represents these photographers’ oeuvres vis-à-vis third parties and also manages the corresponding copyright where possible.

Alongside prints, the archives also encompass preliminary stages and documentation of the creative process (negatives, contact copies, image files, indexes, publication records or written notes, for example) and thus provide valuable insight into the photographers’ working methods. Some archives represent comprehensive oeuvres, while others are only preserved as fragments.