2016

Autochrome Slides from the Collection Carl Georg Bernhard (1858–1939)

Chur, 1910–1939

The slides on display are among the earliest colour photographs from Graubünden. After studying chemistry, their photographer, Carl Georg Bernard, dedicated himself to the production of chocolate, at first in Zurich, and then in Sweden. In 1893 he founded the firm «Chocolat Grison» with Charles Müller-Hähl (compare object 2021) in Chur. For his family he built the «Villa Svea», located at the Masanserstrasse.

After withdrawing from the firm, he turned to photography in 1910. In 2016 the Museum was able to acquire his fully intact darkroom. Surprisingly, several boxes containing autochromes were discovered in it. The so-called Autochrome Lumière was the first colour photography process.