Thalmann completed an apprenticeship as a mechanical draftsman in Winterthur. He then worked for the Armaments Services Group in Thun. A few years before his retirement, he became a technical assistant. His love for the mountains led him again and again to the Swiss Alps. After his retirement, he intensified his traveling and created reliefs at home in bad weather, where his accuracy acquired through his profession came to his aid. He also made reliefs to order.

[1] This article bases on Mair, Toni. Grieder, Susanne. Das Landschaftsrelief – Symbiose von Wissenschaft und Kunsthandwerk. Mit Schweizer Reliefkatalog. Verlag hier+jetzt. Baden, Schweiz. 2006. S.169.