About the artist:

Philipp Giegel was born in 1927 in Zurich. He first got interested in photography in 1945 and was trained during his military service in airforce. He then went to study at the school of arts and crafts in Zurich where he became Hans Finsler’s assistant. In 1949, Philipp Giegel started working at the Swiss Central Office of Tourism, first as a technician and then as a photographer. During more than forty years, he developed his remarkable style. His photographs, send through the world in the form of posters, calendars, brochures, books etc illustrated Switzerland and were rewarded with numerous awards. Known for his perfectionism, his sense for composition and graphic design, he created a real photographic language based on the lessons of the Bauhaus and New Objectivity, applied to the promotion of Switzerland Tourism and to his more personal work. In 1993, when he retired, the Musée de l’Elysée dedicated him a large retrospective exhibition entitled “A picture of Switzerland” and curated by Esther Woerdehoff. Philipp Giegel died in 1997, his photographs with their spectacular play on contrast and composition, deserve to be rediscovered. Solo Exhibition 1993 Une image de la Suisse, Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland Group Exhibitions 2015 La montagne magique, Heuberg 24 & Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Basel, Switzerland 1993 Vision du Sport, photographies 1860 - 1960, Lyon and Paris, France, et Lausanne, Switzerland 1982 Wolken, Museum of Natural History, Fribourg, Switzerland 1976 Zehn Fotografen in Grenchen, Galerie Toni Brechbühl, Grenchen, Switzerland 1975 Im harem eines hühnerstalls (In the harem of a chicken coop), Internationale Triennale der Photographie Freiburg, Museum für Kunst und Geschichte (Museum of Art and History), Friboug, Switzerland 1974 Photographie in der Schweiz von 1840 bis heute, Kunsthause, Zurich, Switzerland 1973 Unterwegs zum Paradies (On the road to paradise), International Photography Exhibition, Stern-Pressehaus, Hambourg, Germany 1969 Man in sport, Art Institute of Chicago, United-States 1968 Man in sport, Hemis Fair ‘68, San Antonio, United-States Man in sport, Gallery of Modern Art, New York City, United-States 1967 Man in sport, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, United-States 1966 Schweizer Photographie (Swiss Photography), Eastman Kodak Exhibition Hall, New York City, United-States 1965 Interfoto 65, Internationale Fotoausstellung, Römerhallen, Frankfurt, Germany 1964 Was ist der Mensch? , International Photography Exhibition, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich, Switzerland 1963 International Exhibition of Photography 63, George Eastman House of Photography, New York, United-States 1955 Photrographie als Ausdruck (Photography as expression), Helmhaus, Zurich, Switzerland 1954 20th New York International Salon, Pictorial Photographers of America, American Museum of Natural History, United-States Awards First Prize for Black and White Photography, Homo Sapiens, Museum of Natural His- tory, Fribourg, Switzerland (1988) First Prize SBG/UBS, Grosser Fotopreis der Schweiz (1984) SBG/UBS Prize, Grosser Fotopreis der Schweiz (1982) SBG/UBS Prize, Grosser Fotopreis der Schweiz (1976) Secund Prize SBG/UBS, Grosser Fotopreis der Schweiz (1974) Prize for sport photography, Photokina 68, Cologne, Germany (1968) Secund Prize International Photography Contest, Milan, Italie (1965) Interpress Foto 64, Association of Polish Journalists, Varsaw, Poland (1964) Anniversary Photo Contest, US Camera Magazine, New York, United-States (1963) Anniversary Photo Contest, US Camera Magazine, New York, United-States (1960) Anniversary Photo Contest, US Camera Magazine, New York, United-States (1957) International Picture Contest, Popular Photography Magazine, New York, United- States (1957) First Prize, Mostra Internationale della Montagna, Club Alpino Italiano, Livorno, Italy (1956) First Prize for A photo I love, Künstlerball, Weltwoche, Zurich, Switzerland (1955) First Prize for Zurich loyal customer, Mövenmotiv, Verkehrsverein Zurich, Switzerland (1955) Third Prize, Caméra, photo revue, International Photo Contest, Lucerne, Switzerland (1950)