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How children draw the world

The Pestalozzianum Foundation's archive of drawings by children and adolescents in Zurich is one of the most comprehensive collections of its type in Europe, covering the period between 1912 and 1984.

The archive is home to around 50,000 drawings collected from schools and competitions worldwide. They document everyday life, political and social events, as well as how art classes changed over time.

Childrens’ drawings and paintings have up until now only been of interest to developmental psychologists. They have, however, been little studied by art historians.

The archive is now evaluating its collection from a cultural and scientific point of view, studying social change through the art works. The evaluation has only just begun. One of the foundation’s main projects is the digitalisation of its archive. (Pictures: Stiftung Pestalozzianum Zürich)

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