Display Window Archive: The Langmatt as a musical meeting place

The grand piano gives you an idea: Music was played regularly at Langmatt. Harry, the youngest of the sons, took to the keys, composed pieces and raved about the works of Bach and Wagner. In Paris, he made a name for himself as a concert organiser and discreet patron of the arts. Host Jenny Brown was happy to offer the musicians a fitting stage in the Picture Gallery. A selection of news and documents, letters and diary entries tell of friendly relationships with renowned musicians, tragic events and unforgettable house concerts.

The Display Window Archive (Schaufenster Archiv) was given its own presentation room on the first floor for the first time in 2021. Since 2019, the format has presented selected archival items from the extensive holdings of the museum archive on a theme that changes twice a year. In 2022, the focus is on historical postcard greetings and the Langmatt as a musical meeting place.

Large parts of the archive were systematically indexed and partially digitised in 2017–18. It contains, among other things, documents, letters, postcards, diaries and photographs from the Brown family estate. The time frame of the documents spans the years 1850 to 1987.

Main picture: Peter Mieg, Musikabend in der Langmatt, 1961, watercolour over pencil on paper, 28 x 36 cm, Museum Langmatt