Founded in October 1985 by Charles-Henri Favrod on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Musée de l’Elysée is one of the world’s most important photography institutions. With its eight exhibition halls on four floors, a bookstore, a reading room and a rich permanent collection, the museum features an international program that explores the diverse ways photography is practiced today. It has held thematic exhibitions and historical retrospectives, showcasing the work of famous photographers and rising stars. The museum also organizes exhibitions elsewhere in Switzerland and abroad.
Its archive room, protected by bunker walls and doors, contains over 100,00° original prints from the 19th and 20th centuries, including a unique collection of Gabriel Lippman’s “interference” photographs, and selections representative of important bodies of work, like those of Francis Frith, Robert Capa, John Philips and Mario Giacomelli. The museum recently acquired many works by contemporary photographers. Its purchasing policy is often linked to its exhibitions, reflected by past shows devoted to Paolo Woods, Christian Lutz and Pieter Hugo. Through its important research and collaborations with universities and other institutions, the museum stands as a center of expertise, particularly on the subject of the representation of the body. Since 2010, the Parisian Sam Stourdzé has been its director.
Musée de L’Elysée
18 Avenue de l’Elysée
1006 Lausanne
Switzerland
+41 21 316 99 11
