Vintage photographs of Switzerland during the 1940’s

At the brink of World War II, a series of photographs of Switzerland was neatly archived in an album.

There is no way of knowing the person who left behind this treasure. But the Boston Public Library has gotten a hold of it and has made the photographs available to the public.

Take a moment to study these glimpses of Switzerland as it looked like some 80 years ago. Most of these archived photographs are not dated, but they appear to have been taken in the late 1930's and 1940's. Please note that all scans are courtesy and copyright Boston Public Library.

Here is Lucerne in central Switzerland with Mount Rigi in the background:

How about this stunning panorama of Mount Rigi?

This chalet at Treib on Lake Lucerne might still exist today:

Then here's a stunning photograph of a steamer on Lake Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background:

Today, we call it historic. But back in the 1940's, this chalet in Interlaken was someone's private residence:

That Jungfrau as seen from Interlaken, though:

The majestic waterfalls at the Lauterbrunnen Valley:

Here is a milkman on his delivery route somewhere in the French speaking part of Switzerland:

Montreux with the Dents du Midi:

Here is Schaffhausen as seen from the River Rhine:

And the majestic Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen:

Finally, a 1948 photographs of Zürich: