SAFFA : Swiss Exhibition of Women’s Work, Cardboard Display, 1958 [Nelly Rudin, Zurich]

SAFFA [Schweizerische Ausstellung für Frauenarbeit / Swiss Exhibition of Working Women], Exhibition Women of Switzerland — their life — their work, July 17 – September 15, 1958. Cardboard display, 7 x 10.375, single-sided. Interestingly with English text (not seen on any other SAFFA materials). Printed in Switzerland. Design by Nelly Rudin, VSG/SWB (1928–2013).

The Swiss Exhibition of Working Women (SAFFA) promoted equal rights and reflected on genders role while drawing attention to the uncertain situation of women in the work-force ... labor in family life, in a professional context, and in the worlds of science and art.

Rudin’s excellent grid-based, geometric design pointed to the contemporary women by illustrating (or following) the progression of females from early civilization to the modern day. She designed this cardboard display, the catalog and exhibition poster. and along with her female graduates of the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule Basel the entire graphic image. In this work, you can also see the excellent SAFFA symbol, a more solid, modern interpretation of the Roman goddess Venus symbol by Heidi Soland. Others included Warja Honegger-Lavater, Elisabeth Dietschi.

“A sculpture of an archaic mother deity in the background ... is echoed by a photographic portrait of Monika Brügger (b. 1932) in the foreground. Brügger was the only woman among a large number of men to receive her architecture diploma from the 1957 graduating class at ETH Zurich. Her short hair and open face, entirely free of makeup, are emblematic of modern, autonomous women.” — Bettina Richter

A very good, evenly colored cardboard display with light handling and two bumps to the lower corners. The back shows some wear with a torn easel.