Leonard von Matt was one of the most successful and well-known Swiss photographers from 1950 until the mid-1970s. His early work, created between 1936 and 1946, includes the strikingly unique portrait of Nidwalden and its folk culture. He began his photographic training at the age of 29 as a self-taught artist, encouraged by his wife Brigitte to take the uncertain path of a photographer. He learned from books and brochures and followed the work of Paul Senn, Jakob Tuggener, Gotthard Schuh, and Man Ray. Starting from the small, von Matt prepared himself for the "big" world through his photographic engagement in Nidwalden. The works he created during this time—he referred to them as "training shots"—are, however, more than just studies on his way to becoming a professional photographer. His images from his immediate surroundings demonstrate great skill.