Documentation

vitrosearch

In order to highlight the scientific study of Switzerland’s glassmaking heritage by the Vitrocentre and Vitromusée Romont staff, a project to put the results of these studies online was initiated in 2013. The vitrosearch database, which was launched in December 2017, is available to professionals and the general public alike. This platform provides a showcase for the activities of our two institutions, but above all highlights the glass arts in Switzerland. It also provides an opportunity to discover the fascinating collections of artists and studios held in Romont.

The database is constantly being updated and expanded with new works and objects, such as tools, that bear witness to the creative work associated with glass.

The database was developed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Lukas Rosenthaler of the Data and Service Center for the Humanities (DaSCH) for the modelling and integration of the data into SALSAH, and with Claudio Felber of Perron2 for the web development. The wapico graphics agency in Bern was commissioned to design the website. This project was financially supported by the Conference of Presidents of the Benefit Distribution Bodies of the Loterie Romande and the Ernst Göhner Foundation.

Link to the database: vitrosearch.ch

Publication

Amsler, S. (2019). Quoi de neuf? : vitrosearch au service du patrimoine verrier. Annales fribourgeoises, 81, 93–100.

Library

The library is part of the Vitrothèque and is located at 99 rue du Château in Romont. The second sector of the Vitrothèque consists of the archives of the Vitrocentre Romont.

The library, established in 1988 at the same time as the Vitrocentre Romont, is unique in its kind. It brings together around 9’000 monographs and around 1’000 periodicals or dependent literature on glass art: reference works, encyclopedias and specialist journals in the fields of stained glass, stained glass techniques, reverse painting on glass, vessel glass, conservation and restoration, as well as the publications of the Corpus Vitrearum. The library also holds a number of historical publications and rare books (textbooks and treatises, pattern books, catalogues and lithographed prints). Relevant diploma, master’s and examination theses are also represented. In recent years, the library has been enriched by the donations of the magnificent library of Frieder Ryser, the great specialist in reverse painting on glass, and the library of the collector Fritz Biemann, a reference for vessel glass.

The Vitrocentre library is affiliated to the Fribourg Cantonal and University Library (BCU FR). The publications are registered in the Swiss Network SLSP and can be found in Swisscovery or Discovery Fribourg-Freiburg (contains only results from Fribourg libraries; in addition, the publications of the Vitrocentre can be viewed separately).

The books and other publications are only available for consultation on site and by appointment. Qualified staff will be at your disposal for your research and if you have any questions.

Contact

Christina Snopko
+41 (0)26 652 18 34
 [email protected]

Archives

The Vitrocentre Romont has a rich collection of archives devoted to glass arts that exists nowhere else in Switzerland. The estates of artists and workshops, art historians and specialist societies in the field of glass arts, dating from the 19th to the 21st century, provide unique opportunities for scientific research.

The collections held by the Vitrocentre Romont are public and can be accessed via the online inventory Vitroarchives.

Access the inventory

Contact

+41 (0)26 652 18 34
[email protected]

Photographic library

The Vitrocentre Romont has a photographic library containing several thousand pictures of stained-glass windows and preparatory drawings by Swiss artists. Copies of images may be ordered by both professionals and members of the general public. A large proportion of the library’s holdings is available online through the database vitrosearch, but other images possessed by the Vitrocentre have yet to be digitized and put online.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to order one or more images or to request reproduction rights. To order images from vitrosearch, please fill out the form that is accessible near the image.

Conditions of use

Contact