In 1910, J. E. Wolfensberger’s unique new building on the Zurich’s Bederstrasse combined a lithography studio and printing house with an art gallery for contemporary painting exhibitions. Pioneering lithographic work, high-quality art reproductions, a consistently high standard of workmanship and strong links with artists were – and still are – the foundations of the family business. Benni and Thomi Wolfensberger are the current directors of the long-established graphic design institution, now in its fourth generation. To help our foundation achieve its goals, the company has provided us with a large amount of material from its own collection. This includes celebrated posters from the last six decades as well as a whole host of historical photographs and print samples, along with significant documents from the company’s history for archiving in the Swiss National Museum.

To mark this occasion, the Swiss National Museum organised an exhibition about this company, which embodies the values of Switzerland and Zurich, in collaboration with our foundation in autumn 2013. Through this exhibition, we also hoped to highlight the importance of this printing firm, with its inextricable links to Swiss culture, in the production of great works of commercial graphic art.