Barbara Basting

Napoleon Bonaparte had his alpine crossing recorded for posterity. Images: Swiss National Library, Wikimedia The Great St Bernard Pass has always been known as a major alpine crossing point. Napoleon Bonaparte made skilful use of it for propaganda purposes. What a splendid white horse. Straining every muscle on its hind legs with nostrils flaring, one eye fixed on us bulging from its socket.

A daily reminder to save at home: a man places a five-franc coin into a money box, 1963. Comet Photo AG. e-pics / Comet Photo “Feed your savings now or starve in old age” and similarly blunt aphorisms were printed on cards issued to Swiss schoolchildren in 1946 in an attempt to motivate them to start saving. Adults were also encouraged, by various means, to set money aside for the future. Until well into the 20th century, people largely had to fend for themselves if they fell on hard times.

A depressed person being tormented by sinister spectres. Print from 1788. Wellcome Collection Melancholy was everywhere in the early modern period: in letters, reports and biographies, but also in medical tracts and theological discourse. A diagnosis is speculative, but in some of the descriptions we can recognise what today is referred to as depression.