The Photographic Collection Henri Germond Is Now Available

The Archives de la construction moderne (Acm) have completed the processing and compilation of the inventory for the Henri Germond photographic collection, which is now available for consultation. This collection represents a valuable resource for research and documentation on the history of construction in Switzerland during the second half of the 20th century.

Henri Germond (1931–1994), a photographer from the canton of Vaud, documented numerous major Swiss construction sites, including infrastructure projects and factories, between the 1960s and 2000s. His work includes iconic photographic campaigns, particularly those focused on the Grande Dixence Dam and the UNIL-EPFL campus. These images, covering a wide range of subjects such as buildings, bridges, tunnels, and dams, provide a unique insight into the evolution of the built environment and professional practices in French-speaking Switzerland.

The completion of the online publication of this inventory marks an important milestone in enhancing the value of this photographic collection and strengthens the position of EPFL’s collections as strategic resources for research and innovation. Ultimately, this project aims to harness the potential of images as structured and reusable visual data for scientific, technical, and cultural research. By positioning themselves as dynamic and versatile resources, archives can become strategic tools for exploring complex issues, such as analyzing architectural evolution, studying construction technologies, or assessing the environmental impact of architectural practices over time.

The inventory of the Henri Germond Collection, preserved at the Archives de la construction moderne – EPFL, is available online on Morphé and is freely accessible (by appointment) to students, teachers, and researchers at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), as well as to the general public. This collection is licensed under CC BY-SA.