In the middle of the 19th century Jean Adolphe Braun inspired the imagination of the European bourgeoisie with his photos. From the 1850s onwards, more and more people had the financial means to travel. However, very few people had their own photographic equipment, so they bought photographs on site. Soon a flourishing business with pictures and photo albums emerged. The company Braun & Cie was led by Jean Adolphe Braun and his son Gaston in Mulhouse, Alsace, and specialized in landscapes and cities. Their pictures of Switzerland spread throughout Europe and shaped the country's tourist image. As a "by-product", they also documented the emergence of infrastructure in the Alps.
