Cogs at the Tornos machine tool factory, Moutier, 1942. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Grande Dixence power station, 1942. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
A stoker on an electric furnace, 1943. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
An errand girl at Oerlikon engineering works, 1934. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Pressure line, Vernayaz, 1938. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Lathe, Oerlikon engineering works, 1949. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Working in a boiler, 1935. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Berti, an errand girl at Oerlikon engineering works, 1936. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Electric oven, Honegger Rüti, 1942. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
Weaving mill, Glattfelden, 1940s. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
"Amore", Oerlikon engineering works, 1940s. (Jakob Tuggener Foundation)
Jakob Tuggener-Stiftung
The Swiss Foundation for Photography in Winterthur presents 140 images by Jakob Tuggener, considered one of the leading figures in the history of Swiss photography. All the photographs revolve around the theme of machines. The exhibition runs until January 28.
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Specialist in federal politics. Earlier worked at the Swiss national news agency and at Radio Fribourg.
Olivier Pauchard (text) & Marie Gfeller (photo editor), swissinfo.ch
Jakob Tuggener (1904-1988) is defined in the Swiss photography landscape by the expressiveness and strong personality of his images. The artist was at ease in several worlds. For example, he knew how to capture the atmosphere of parties and nightlife like no one else.
But it was the world of factories and industry that he knew best. And for good reason: Tuggener himself had been trained as a machinery draughtsman and had then worked in the construction sector. It was only at the end of the 1920s, after he lost his job due to the Great Depression, that he finally turned to art and photography.
The exhibition “Jakob Tuggener – Machine Time” allows visitors to discover a vision both artistic and relevant to the Swiss industrial world at the beginning of the 1930s until the end of the 1950s. Besides the photos and sketches, a selection of short films is on display in an adjoining room.
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