Jakob Tuggener's book Factory (German: Fabrik), along with his later maquettes Black Iron (German: Schwarzes Eisen) and The Machine Age (German: Die Maschinenzeit), forms a cohesive and expressive photographic exploration of the interplay between humanity and industrialization. Produced during and after World War II in Switzerland, the project emerged from Tuggener’s deep familiarity with the industrial world, shaped by his early career as a draftsman and his experiences as a factory photographer. Fabrik, first published in 1943, coincided with Switzerland’s heightened wartime industrial activity, particularly in the military sector, offering a critical lens on technological progress and its societal ramifications.
Set against the backdrop of Switzerland’s neutral yet economically entangled position during World War II, the project critiques the optimism surrounding industrial advancement. Through its cinematic sequencing and expressionistic aesthetic, Factory examines the psychological and physical toll of industrial labor. Tuggener’s images juxtapose the monumental power of machines with the fragility of human workers, creating a tension that questions whether technology serves humanity or subsumes it. This thematic duality is further developed in the later maquettes, with Black Iron capturing the industrial era from 1935 to 1950 and The Machine Age focusing on technological transformations between 1942 and 1951. Both works expand on Factory’s critical narrative, emphasizing the dehumanizing aspects of mechanization and the ambivalence of progress.
Tuggener’s artistic vision is conveyed through his black-and-white photography, characterized by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow that evoke the influence of German Expressionist cinema. The visual language of Factory employs close-ups, unconventional angles, and intentional blur to emphasize both the dynamism of machinery and the fragility of humans within industrial environments. His sequencing of images, inspired by silent film montage, constructs a rhythm that oscillates between chaos and contemplation, mirroring the industrial world’s relentless pace and reflective pauses. These visual choices invite viewers to engage emotionally and intellectually with the images, transcending straightforward documentation.
On publication in 1943, Factory drew mixed responses and it sold poorly in wartime Switzerland. Subsequent reassessment established it as a key project, supported by inclusion in MoMA’s Postwar European Photography (1953) and The Family of Man (1955), a Helmhaus Zürich retrospective (1974), and later exhibitions in Montpellier (2015), Bologna (2016), and at the Fotostiftung Schweiz (2017–18). Recognition also included the Gold Medal at the 1st International Photo Biennale, Venice (1957).
