Honegger’s Collection

During the last 20 years of his life Gerhard Honegger, a Zurich teacher and cinema enthusiast, built up a vast, first-class collection of objects on the theme of light projection and visual illusion devices. He had clearly realised that a true collector is not just a hoarder but is an expert, very selective in his choices. Gerhard Honegger was also particularly meticulous in the way he filed, documented, listed his collection. Another of his activities was organising very popular magical lantern shows, thus, in his own special way, perpetuating the profession of yesteryear’s magic lantern showman. On two occasions, our Museum was fortunate enough to welcome Gerhard Honegger, whose skills and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated by one and all.

When he died in 2005, his family, keen to ensure the best possible future for this remarkable collection and that it would not be divided up and scattered, contacted the Museum, giving it first chance to buy the whole collection.

Thanks to the generosity of the Office Fédéral Office de la Culture, the Loterie Romande, Elinca S.A, Retraites populaires, Logitech S.A. and the Fondation Ernst Göhner, the Museum fortunately managed to purchase this magnificent collection and it arrived in Vevey in 2006.

Today’s exhibition shows the most significant objects of the Honegger collection, combined with several other recent purchases.

Magic lanterns and various other visual illusion objects lie beside a multitude of wonderful pictures composing an audiovisual, hands-on exhibition, allowing everybody to personalise their visit. The pictures belonging to the Honegger collection range from Swiss countryside scenes to far-off landscapes, tell thousands of stories, recount fabulous travels. Some movement slides will amuse the visitor with their visual illusions; for instance, the chromatropes and their bewildering kaleidoscopic effects. Other pictures slowly and subtly blend together through the magical effects of dissolution.