The landlord with the camera

May 13, 2017 - 11:00

Alfons Rohrer (1925-1998) from Sachseln, canton of Obwalden, was a landlord at the guesthouse Bahnhof, a member of the vocal club and local fire brigade, and he presided over the union of sheep breeders. He also was a photographer who documented the village scene for more than 50 years. He left behind a comprehensive work, the best pictures of which were recently published bilingually in the volume Heimat. Chez soi.

Rohrer's grandson and publisher Heinz Anderhalden remembers: "Originally, I only wanted to help my grandmother clean up the closet. For 15 years, my grandfather's slides went unnoticed and were not viewed, so I began to digitise them. And we realised: I had found a treasure!"

"During my childhood I always saw my grandfather with a camera at hand and he was experienced at it. He was a cheerful person and it seems as if he wanted to capture this joy forever (...) The photographs offer insights into a community that only a local person could see. These images immediately create a nostalgic feeling as well make viewers look at their personal past and memories, even if they have no geographical or cultural links to the region. "

(Text from: Heimat, Chez soi, a photo album, Scheidegger & Spiess)