Camera Museum

What Camera Museum does

The Swiss Camera Museum (Musée suisse de l'appareil photographique) is a non-profit municipal cultural institution located on the Grande Place in Vevey, Switzerland, founded in 1979 by Claude-Henry Forney and operated under the City of Vevey with support from the Association des amis du Musée (350+ members) and the Swiss Camera Museum Foundation (established 1991). It preserves and exhibits the history of photography through a permanent collection of 380+ instruments, cameras, and archival materials — described as unique in Europe — complemented by rotating temporary exhibitions, a documentation centre and library, and a six-volume publication series (Les yeux des photographes, 2016-2018).

The museum operates a physical venue with interactive elements, including a hands-on photographic darkroom available for workshops (photogram and black-and-white printing at 12 CHF plus admission) and full-day rental (220 CHF). Programming spans guided tours (75-200 CHF), school programs (125-150 CHF), birthday parties (185 CHF), corporate/private events, and an audioguide via izi.travel. Earned revenue is generated from admissions (9 CHF adults / 7 CHF concessions, free under 18), workshops, guided tours, retail through an on-site and email-order boutique (publications, cameras, merchandise), and recurring memberships (40-600 CHF). Operating hours are 11:00-17:30 daily, with a planned August 17-31, 2026 closure for construction on the Place du Marché.

The institution is structurally a publicly funded non-profit, with core financial support from the City of Vevey, Canton de Vaud, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Loterie Romande, and multiple Swiss cultural foundations (Pour-cent culturel Migros, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Fondation Leenaards, Sandoz Fondation de famille). It is embedded in a Swiss photography-heritage network including partnerships with the Fondation suisse pour la photographie (Winterthur), Musée de l'Elysée (Lausanne), Fotomuseum Winterthur, Auerphotofoundation (Hermance), Memoriav, Festival Images Vevey, and industry partners Elinchrom, Ilford, and Broncolor. The team identified from the website comprises approximately 10 staff across directorial, reception, administration, conservation, documentation, cultural mediation, and technical functions.

Name

Camera Museum

Legal name

Musée suisse de l'appareil photographique

Website

https://cameramuseum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Swiss Camera Museum is a non-profit municipal institution in Vevey, Switzerland, preserving and exhibiting the history of photography through a 380+ object collection, rotating exhibitions, hands-on darkroom workshops, guided tours, and educational programs for the general public, school groups, and photography enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Museum / Cultural Heritage Institution

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Photography museum services
• Cultural heritage exhibits
• Photography workshops
• Museum educational programs
• Analog photography training

Headquarters

HQ city

Vevey

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Daily admission fees charged to visitors: 9 CHF adults, 7 CHF concessions (students/seniors), free for children under 18. Groups of 10+ receive discounted rate of 6 CHF per person.
2. Photo Lab Workshops & Rentals: Revenue from paid photo lab workshops (photogram, black-and-white printing) and darkroom rental. Photogram workshop included in combined admission-lab ticket at 16/14 CHF. Black-and-white printing workshop at 12 CHF + museum admission. Darkroom rental at 220 CHF per day.
3. Guided Tours: Revenue from guided tours of permanent and temporary exhibitions. Pricing ranges from 75 CHF (standard guided tour ~1h) to 200 CHF (guided tour + darkroom, max 10 people).
4. Museum Shop - Publications & Cameras: Sale of publications ('Les yeux des photographes' series), cameras (Holga, water camera, camera actionsampler), and merchandise (tote bags) through the on-site boutique and online shop.
5. School Programs: Revenue from school group programs including guided museum visits + photo lab (150 CHF for up to 12 students), free visit + photo lab (125 CHF), and themed guided tours (Führung der Dauerausstellung, Laterna magica).
6. Membership Dues (Association des amis): Annual membership fees from the Association des amis with more than 350 members. Individual membership 40 CHF/year (Switzerland) or 50 CHF/year (abroad), couple/family from 60 CHF, corporate from 100 CHF, lifetime membership 500-600 CHF.
7. Corporate & Private Events: Revenue from after-hours private events, corporate evenings, and birthday parties. Birthday parties priced at 185 CHF for up to 10 children (from age 5). Corporate events charged per hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Swiss Camera Museum preserves and exhibits the history of photography through a permanent collection of cameras, instruments, and images, complemented by rotating temporary exhibitions. It offers ticketed admissions, guided tours, hands-on darkroom and photogram workshops, school programs, corporate event hosting, and a boutique selling publications and merchandise.

Product overview

Camera Museum operates as the Swiss Museum of Photography in Vevey, offering a permanent exhibition tracing the technical history of photography from its origins to the digital era, complemented by rotating temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary photographers. The museum provides educational workshops including photogram and black-and-white darkroom sessions, publishes the six-volume 'Les yeux des photographes' book series, maintains a documentation centre, and offers audio guides via izi.travel. Visitors can purchase photography-related merchandise at the museum shop, which stocks cameras such as Holga and specialty items alongside publications. The institution also serves as a venue for corporate events, birthday parties, and school programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Exhibition

Quantifiable outcome

• 380+ objects of technical and historical interest have enriched the museum's collections through foundation acquisitions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondation suisse pour la photographie, WinterthurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss photography foundation network partner. The museum is part of a broader network of Swiss photography institutions and heritage organisations.
• Musée de l'Elysée, LausannecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor photography museum in Lausanne. Partnership includes mutual membership benefits — museum members can visit Photo Elysée freely.
• Fotomuseum WinterthurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotography museum in Winterthur, part of the Swiss photography institution network.
• Festival Images VeveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiennial photography festival in Vevey. The museum participates in the Images Vevey festival, hosting exhibitions and programming as part of the city-wide event.
• Auerphotofoundation, Hermance, GenèvecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Michel Auer, whose major photography collection inspired the museum's 1971 exhibition. The foundation holds significant Swiss photography heritage assets.
• Memoriav, BerneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss association for the preservation of audiovisual heritage, supporting documentation and archival efforts of Swiss museums.
• Association des Musées de la Riviera vaudoiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of museums of the Vaud Riviera region, of which the Camera Museum is a member institution.
• Museums.CHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss museum umbrella organisation connecting Swiss museums.
• Passeport Musées SuissesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Museum Pass programme allowing access to participating Swiss museums. The Camera Museum participates in this scheme.
• Elinchrom S.A., RenenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss manufacturer of professional electronic flash equipment. Key supporter of the Swiss Camera Museum Foundation — funded acquisition of exceptional studio cameras and contributed to museum development.
• IlfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotography equipment brand. Darkroom rental includes Ilford products and photo paper available for purchase in the museum shop.
• BroncolorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss professional lighting equipment manufacturer. The museum holds equipment from Broncolor as part of its studio equipment collection.
• EPFL - Faculté Informatique et CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne communication faculty, providing academic/research connections.
• Swisstainable (Schweiz Tourismus)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss tourism sustainability programme. The museum is classified at Level I — committed, as part of Switzerland Tourism's sustainability initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Musée de l'Elysée (Photo Elysée): Photography museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, dedicated to the history and art of photography. Direct peer with mutual membership benefits already in place, both institutions operating Swiss photography museums with permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and educational programs.
• Fotomuseum Winterthur: Photography museum in Winterthur, Switzerland, focused on the history and contemporary practice of photography. Direct peer operating as a Swiss photography museum with rotating exhibitions and educational programming.
• George Eastman Museum: International photography museum in Rochester, New York, focused on the history of photography and film. Direct peer as one of the world's leading photography heritage institutions with a major collection of cameras and photographic equipment.
• Foam Amsterdam: Photography museum in Amsterdam showcasing contemporary photography alongside historical work. Direct peer as a European photography museum with exhibitions, educational programming, and a publishing arm.
• Museum für Fotografie (Berlin): Photography museum in Berlin operated jointly by the Kunstbibliothek and Helmut Newton Foundation, housing major collections of photographic equipment and imagery. Direct peer as a European photography heritage institution.
• The Photographers' Gallery: The UK's first publicly funded gallery dedicated to photography, located in London, presenting historical and contemporary photographic work. Direct peer as a publicly funded photography exhibition institution.
• International Center of Photography (ICP): New York-based museum and school dedicated to photography and visual culture, with collections spanning the history of the medium. Direct peer as a major photography museum with permanent collections, exhibitions, and education.
• Musée Français de la Photographie: French national photography museum in Bièvres, near Paris, housing one of Europe's largest collections of cameras and photographic instruments. Direct peer as a specialized European museum of photographic equipment heritage.
• Auerphoto Foundation: Geneva-based foundation established by Michel Auer whose photography collection inspired the founding of the Swiss Camera Museum. Direct peer through shared Swiss photography heritage focus and an existing partnership.
• Fondation suisse pour la photographie: Swiss photography foundation in Winterthur dedicated to preserving and promoting Swiss photographic heritage. Direct peer through shared Swiss photography preservation mission and an existing partnership with the Camera Museum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camera Museum