MASI Lugano presents the first comprehensive survey of the initial fifty years of photography in Switzerland. The exhibition boasts a number of historic works that have never been exhibited, such as the first ever photograph of the Matterhorn and the oldest photos taken in the Canton of Ticino. Some of the themes explored include the impact of this new visual experience, the immediate connection between art and photography, its key role in developing tourism, and how it was used to record local customs and traditions, as well as industry and science. The show documents the spread of photography in Switzerland in detail, offering a fascinating and very engaging journey through over 400 images dating from 1839 to the 1890s – many of which have never been presented to the public – from more than 60 public and private collections. The different aspects captured in the country’s diverse language regions channel the progressive spirit and dynamic development of the young federal state in nineteenth-century Europe.

The exhibition is co-produced with Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur and Photo Elysée, Losanna and it is presented in the LAC venue of MASI Lugano.