Thusis, end of 19^th century

Might this lamp once have illuminated the vestibule in the Hotel Viamala or the billiard room in the Posthotel? In the 19^th century the two biggest hotels in Thusis accommodated solvent guests. Electric lighting was part of the luxuries an upscale establishment provided, ever since Johannes Badrutt had been the first to use electric lights in his hotel «Kulm» in St. Moritz in 1878.

Unlike St. Moritz, Thusis was not among the flourishing tourism destinations. However, after the expansion of the roads crossing the Splügen and the San Bernardino passes in 1823, the village established itself as an important intermediate station. The reason for this was that travelling over passes without a slow acclimatization to the differences in altitude was considered unhealthy