What it does
ETH Library’s Image Archive holds historical photographs of science, technology, Swiss places and aviation. A digitized selection is available through E-Pics, with download formats and licensing information recorded for individual images.
The holdings include ETH laboratories and buildings, portraits of scientists, Swissair photographs and aerial views. For landscape research, the archive also preserves repeated photographic observations of changes to settlements, transport infrastructure and natural environments.
Use E-Pics or ETH Library @ swisscovery to find digitised photographs. Published files can be downloaded free in web resolution or as high-resolution JPGs and TIFFs. The licence type and conditions are attached to each image, so check the individual record before reuse.
The online selection does not include everything. Digitised but unpublished photographs can be researched in the Reading Room Collections and Archives, as can undigitised indexes. New digitisation can be ordered for a fee.
Strengths
- Holdings include dated aerial views and repeated studies of landscape change.
- Existing digital files include free high-resolution JPG and TIFF options.
Watch out for
- Some photographs and indexes require reading-room research rather than an online download.
Best for
- Editors researching scientific and Swiss documentary photographs
Sources
- Image Archive: ETH Library, ETH Zurich (Oct 27, 2026)