for newspapers, journalists, editors and authors of books, public relations-managers, male and female friends of curiosities and nostalgical times, etc.
The Swiss "Books-Paradise" is a gigantic source of rare, peculiar, extra-ordinary, unknown and original information and documentation.
Other "Informers" may be good for the general knowledge - we are the specialists of the "Sideshows", of the different access to the funny, the old-fashioned, the curious texts and illustrations.
We dispose of:
Over two millions pictures in separate collections, in 80'000 books and in more than 1000 special themata-"Dossiers".
Please contact us, when you are in search of pictures, documents, literature and informations of every kind of the following subjects. We let you know the number of books, references and illustrations in our special collections connected with each of the following items - and we indicate our prepaid-price for scanned copies of these private sources.
Napoleon I - his life and his time
(one of the greatest collection in Switzerland - more than 2000 books, 100 documents and 500 pictures and portraits - after the "Arenenberg"- Library propably the second-important Napoleon-Documentation in Switzerland)
Goethe, Schiller, Balzac, Victor Hugo, Zola, Rilke, Pierre Loti, etc.
Female biographies (about 900 books)
First World War 1914 - 1918 (more than 400 books)
World War II 1939 - 1945 (a very large collection of books (approximative 2500), newspaper, documents and illustrations from Germany, France, England, Russia, etc.)
Encyclopedias colliers, several "Meyer" (four editions), old lexica (since 1820), worldwide
The "Encyclopedia Judaica" in 19 volumes, etc.
All about Fire Brigades, Great Fires (London, Chicago, Vienna, etc.) and catastrophes as storms, vulcanic eruptions, Railway- and Ship-Disasters, etc.
Gastronomic library with over 450 books
Thousand-and-one-Night - Stories (50 different and really beautiful books or series)
A large collection of Fairy Tales in German (ca.500), French (50) and English (80)
Russo-Japanese War of 1904/05
Dynasties worldwide (for instance King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Frederic the Great of Prussia, etc.)
History of Switzerland ranged by cantons (the Zurich and Basle bibliotheques are specially rich and provided with original documents from 1550 to our times)
Balloons, zeppelins, airplanes - the whole compartment of "Aviatica" includes more than 800 books
An important Vienna (Wien)-collection in ca.600 books and documents, with 200 postcards and 150 original photographs (1900 - 1940)
Over 20000 old photographs from 1860 to 1930 in more than 150 marvellous albums
A splendid collection of book plates (Ex Libris)
(more than 1200 Lithographs) - ready for copies and for an exposition (click at "Ausstellungen/Ex Libris")
All about the great Ocean Liners (very interesting) the Sea-Battles, Submarines, Sailing ships, etc.
Circus, varieté and allied arts, including Clowns, artists of all kind, elefants, horse training, Buffalo Bill, Blondin, strange and true Circus-Stories, the famous automats, "Wonders", etc., documentated in ca 600 books.
History of ballets, theatre, opera, movies
Ca.300 numbers of a French illustrated filmpublication of the 1930/1940 (very rare)
Fashion (with old color plates),horses, cats, dogs, pigs, Worldexhibitions (since 1855...), coffee, tea.
Automobile-History - 300 books from the early beginning of automobilism and autoracing, with more than 500 separate fotografs, prints, prospects, etc.
Cyclism - 100 book
Department arts and architecture:
In a total of 3500 books are contained:
Egypt (250), Creek arts (200), Roman arts (300), famous painters worldwide (800) Swiss arts (300) "Jugendstil" (100) Pre-Raffaelites (90), etc.
The great European cities:
London, Paris, Berlin - each special collection of books, posters, plans and prospects contains a range of 400 to 500 items
Over 500 year-issues of rare illustrated newspaper and magazines from Germany, Austria, France, England, Spain, etc., covering the period between 1800 and 1970 - with a lot of publications who are not available at the universitary librairies in Switzerland.
Our private collections are really a paradise of books!
For more cultural and historical sources please have a look at:
"Kulturzentrum"/"Bibliothek"/"Ausstellungen"/"Sammlungen"with a lot of revealing illustrations - or click at "Publikationen" with details for all books of Hans A. Jenny!
Our information-collections are naturally not for sale, but they could be useful for documentation against prepayment.
Please let us know your special interests!