- Founded 1975 in Zurich by Verena Eggmann Steiner, photographer, 1946–1997, and jointly managed with Bernd Steiner from 1985 onwards
- Continued and expanded as a foundation from 2000 onwards by Bernd Steiner and Silvia Haubensak Steiner; museum in Winterthur between 1998 and 2007.
- Integrated into Naturama Aargau as an independent collection since 2015 and part of ArboCityNet since 2025
A project group comprising the board, core group members and secretariat is tasked with developing a concept for making the various objects accessible to interested parties.