Preserving jars from Bülach

Before refrigerators – to say nothing of chest freezers – were in every kitchen, preserving jars were ideal for keeping seasonally available fresh produce until winter. However, after the preserving jars made by the German manufacturer Weck became almost impossible to find in Switzerland due to World War I, the Bülach glassworks developed its own product: the green preserving jar with a wire bail closure and sealing ring, which, thanks to numerous posters, recipe booklets, and even public demonstrations, became a world-famous product in Switzerland.

Designed by Peter Birkhäuser (1911–1976) and printed by Wassermann in Basel in 1934, this poster is an icon of Swiss poster art due to its astonishingly realistic depiction of this industrial product combined with a natural product portrayed with equal trompe l'œil accuracy. Yet, he could hardly have wished for a better mentor: starting in 1928, he spent a good six years as an apprentice under Niklaus Stoecklin—six years during which Birkhäuser matured into a leading representative of Magical Realism, inspired by the New Objectivity. The pores of the pear, the sheen of the glass, the almost palpable coolness of the metal handle, and the precision of the reflections bear witness to this.

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