Zug,16.10.2018
The Museum Burg Zug expands its inventory
The drugstore Luthiger was located on the Neugasse for over 170 years, and as a traditional family business has become an important part of Zug's history. The Museum Burg Zug wanted to secure this important piece of history for itself and took over the historic fittings of the drugstore in 2000. Today these are reproduced in facsimile as part of the museum’s permanent exhibit. The Luthigers are a family firmly anchored in Zug, which occupied important political and military offices in the 18th century, and enjoyed a high reputation in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the Zuger bourgeoisie and trade.
The Luthigers had always had an affinity for art and a weakness for all things collectable, especially for items related to the family and their hometown of Zug. The legacy of the family is extensive. So extensive in fact that the descendants turned to the Museum Burg Zug to offer it a part of the collection as its upkeep had become too costly. "As we already own objects from the Luthiger collection, we knew roughly what to expect," says museum director Marco Sigg. "And before this collection, which is historically valuable for Zug, is scattered in all directions, we have decided to take over a large part of it." This was also in the interests of the Luthigers. The acquisition was finally made from the museum fund and with financial support from the public sector as well as private individuals.
A top-class collection
"Subsequently, we examined the collection and did a first taking of inventory according to certain criteria. We weighted according to the personalities and motives of Zug, according to condition as well as the possibility to supplement our inventory," explains Sigg. "We consider the collection to be top-class."
The selection includes several object types such as paintings and drawings, engravings, photographs, albums and family souvenirs, furniture, toys, textiles, pewter objects and exhibits from the former drugstore. The museum has chosen over 40 oil paintings dating from the 17th to 20th centuries. The special thing about these is that apart from two exceptions, the painters as well as the depicted person are known. Renowned artists from Zug such as Joseph Stocker, Karl Joseph Keiser or Joseph Martin Benedikt Brandenberg have portrayed members of well-esteemed families from Zug: Muos, Moos, Luthiger, Müller, Merz Küng, Brandenberg, Zurlauben, Landtwing, Bossard or Wickart.
Curious rarities and rare vedutas
Aside the classic collectibles, there are numerous strange and wonderful things. For example, a small oval umbrella made of thin leather, on which a romantically transfigured view of the old Zug appears at the onset of light - similar to a lithophane. Rare vedutas in the form of engravings and drawings, various devotional items, guild signs, pewter signs, historical household utensils, rich photo and postcard collections as well as knickknacks of different colors make up the hotchpotch, which immediately fills a whole archive wall. Some of the exhibits are already listed and illustrated in the book series titled Die Kunstdenkmäler der Schweiz (The Art Monuments of Switzerland).
Elaborate inventory
Currently, the objects from the estate Luthiger are stored in the entrance depot of the museum and await their documentation. "This is a time-consuming process", knows Marco Sigg from experience. Yet, he is determined not to treat the valuable acquisition simply as an extension of inventory, but rather make it accessible to the public - "be it in the context of a thematic exhibition in the museum or in a digitally accessible form." How long this will take is a matter of effort, and experience has shown that this will be considerable. All objects are photographed and meticulously inventoried. "This not only applies to the newly acquired collection, but generally to the entire inventory," clarifies Marco Sigg. This means that the museum database is also processed retrospectively and updated according to today's requirements. Many pieces are indeed still registered the old-fashioned way - in card form and in drawer compartments.
The effort is necessary, and worth it. Marco Sigg elaborates, "we receive many inquiries from interested individuals who are looking for something specific. In order to process such requests efficiently, we need a modern inventory".