Donate family/club documents, photos, clothing and more for preservation
Please contact the Swiss Center if you have any questions about your family or organization's historical records, photographs, books and other items.
All donations are unconditional and unrestricted gifts to the Swiss Center of North America. For some items, the Swiss Center will require a standard Deed of Gift form that is signed and dated by the donor and Swiss Center staff. This form will transfer legal ownership of the items to the Swiss Center and will be retained as a permanent record.
Physical transfer of the donation is the responsibility of the donor including shipping, handling, insurance or freight charges.
Because it is considered a conflict of interest for archives and libraries to make appraisals, donors who want such appraisals must hire a private disinterested third party. It is the donors responsibility to pay for an appraisal.
Don’t Throw The Past Away
Don’t Throw The Past Away
Don’t Throw The Past Away
Our Swiss ancestors brought their culture and heritage with them. The Donald G. Tritt Archives and Library is where wemsave the papers, documents and items that tell the Swiss emigration story. Share with us so others can learn and experience the Swiss story.
What We Have
Don’t Throw The Past Away
Don’t Throw The Past Away
We have 100 year old colorized prints from Switzerland; sterioviews of Switzerland produced by American companies during the late 1800's to early 1900's; and antique marketing and advertising documents. The list continues and we are proud of what is held within our Tritt Library and Archives. Help us continue to grow our holdings.
What They Wore and Used
“Suisse” Collection of Ruth Hubrich
“Suisse” Collection of Ruth Hubrich
Our Material Collection includes clothing, textiles, folk and fine art, household furnishings, products of science and technology, objects representative of the immigrant experience, and musical instruments of Swiss origin.
“Suisse” Collection of Ruth Hubrich
“Suisse” Collection of Ruth Hubrich
“Suisse” Collection of Ruth Hubrich
The "Suisse" Collection of othe Swiss Born. Hub rich includes Swiss artwork, hand-painted furniture, Kreuzstich pattern books (books of old traditional needlework techniques), privately printed works containing authentic drawings and methods of making equipment, and spoken dialect recordings of Swiss German.
Donald G. Tritt Library
Your Financial Support is Vital
Donald G. Tritt Library
In the Donald G.Tritt Library, you will find some 13,000 books, magazines and a growing number of family genealogies. Subjects include Swiss clothing and traditions; Swiss settlements in the U.S.; genealogy, history, art, biographies, fiction and nonfiction. Materials are published in the four official languages of Switzerland, dialect, and English.
Materials relating to Swiss genealogy and Swiss Americans include Leo Schelbert and Hedwig Rappolt’s Alles ist Ganz anders Hier; Berne Centennial 1852-1952; and Susann Bosshard Kalin’s Emigrant Paths: Encounters with 20th Century Swiss Americans.
1753 Datweiler Bible
Your Financial Support is Vital
Donald G. Tritt Library
Susan Young's grandfather is shown above with the Datweiler Family Bible which Susan of Houston, TX donated to the Swiss Center.
Printed in Loerrach, Switzerland the bible was presented to Andrew and Susanna Datweiler when they married in Biel, Canton Bern November 13, 1753.
Family bibles can play an important role in preserving family histories as well as being a potential source of vital records.
Your Financial Support is Vital
Your Financial Support is Vital
Your Financial Support is Vital
We ask potential donors to understand the expense of building and maintaining an award-winning library and archival collection. As a non-profit organization we must raise money to maintain safe, clean, and stable exhibition, storage, and work spaces.
Please remember we are a non-profit organization. All funding comes from people like you.