Opening on Thursday, 3 October, starting at 19:30:
Sky Society – First-hand accounts by Konrad Korsunsky
At the opening on 3 October, the former Swissair advertising manager Konrad Korsunsky will be sharing some anecdotes from his time in the erstwhile “Propaganda Division” and will offer a view into how some of the various poster campaigns took shape. Korsunsky started working for Swissair in 1964, before he took over the management in North America in 1966. From 1970 to 1998, he was active in Zurich, where among other things he was responsible for the advertising campaigns together with art director Fritz Girardin.
Thursday, 17 October, 19:00:
The Golden Era by Benedikt Meyer
On 17 October, the historian Benedikt Meyer, from Basel, will focus upon how Swissair transformed from a somewhat broken-winged and almost bankrupt airline in the 50s after the war to an airline-industry showcase. In 2015, with “Im Flug,” based on his dissertation, Meyer brought out the first scholarly study on the subject of Swissair.
Photo: In a DC-8 of Swissair, around 1965. Source: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv/Stiftung Luftbild Schweiz
Thursday, 24 October, 19:00:
Kurt Wirth’s Swissair by Moreno Tuttobene
On 24 October, Moreno Tuttobene, a graphic artist from Zurich, will call to mind the Bern painter and designer, Kurt Wirth (1917-1996), who designed a large amount of advertising material for Swissair in the mid-50s – work that still makes a surprisingly modern impression. Wirth went on to advise the company in the implementation of its corporate identity in the 80s. Tuttobene completed his Master’s Thesis on Wirth in 2013. In 2017, he curated two exhibitions of his work.
Image: A brochure, designed 1956 by Kurt Wirth
Thursday, 31 October, 19:00:
Take-off by Hans Weder
On 31. October, Hans Weder, a one-time member of the management team of the Swissair Technology Department, will impart to his listeners an idea of the pioneering spirit of the first Swiss pilots and founders of the airline companies in the decades preceding Swissair. He will then focus shortly on the first years of Swissair. Weder has published numerous works to do with aviation, most recently “Startbereit.”
Photo: Before take-off with a DC-3, around 1937. Source: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv/Stiftung Luftbild Schweiz