The Amsterdam Treasure Room The city’s history in twenty-four striking stories and photographs Preface Amsterdam’s history is a treasure trove of stories and wonderful documents, and the Amsterdam City Archives is its guardian. Watching over more than 50 kilometers of shelves with old books and papers, photographs, maps, prints and drawings, and housed in the monumental De Bazel building, the archive welcomes everyone to delve into the city’s rich history. Wander through the Treasure Room, dating from 1926. Watch an old movie in our Movie Theatre. Find out about Rembrandt or Johan Cruyff and their times. Marvel at the medieval charter cabinet. And follow the change from a small city in a medieval world to a world city in our times. Bert de Vries Director Treasure Room Amsterdam City Archives 06 05 04 B 03 02 01 08 09 10 Floor -1 C 11 A 12 E 06 F D 05 0 -2 04 03 H 02 G 08 01 09 10 I Floor -2 11 I 12 J I K A D L 0 -2 4 Showcases Floor -1 Showcases Floor -2 The city’s history The city’s history seen by photographers in twelve striking stories 07 01 The first photographs 01 The origins of Amsterdam 08 of Amsterdam Praying and fighting 02 Jacob Olie 02 in the Middle Ages The turbulent 03 Jacob Olie 03 sixteenth century An immigrant city 04 George Hendrik Breitner 04 in the Dutch Golden Age 05 Bernard F. Eilers 05 Amsterdam and slavery Photography studio 06 Merkelbach 06 Foundlings in a waning city Amsterdam Zoo 07 Frits J. Rotgans 07 ‘Natura Artis Magistra’ 08 Wim van der Linden 08 1883 World Fair 09 Department of Public Works 09 The Second World War Provo’s, hippies 10 Cor Jaring 10 and squatters 11 City Archives photographers 11 I Amsterdam 12 IJbeeld Foundation 12 Moving outside 07 A Entrance Treasure Room E Archival storage 08 B Entrance Movie Theatre F Statue of Mercury C Toilets G Medieval charter cabinet D Elevator (between 0, -1 en -2) H Temporary exhibitions I Former storage vaults Archival drawers J Orphan Chamber K Archival storage L Former boiler room 5 6 The city’s history seen by photographers Showcases 1 The first photographs of 7 Frits J. Rotgans Amsterdam 8 Wim van der Linden 2 Jacob Olie 9 Department of Public Works 3 Jacob Olie 10 Cor Jaring 4 George Hendrik Breitner 11 City Archive photographers 5 Bernard F. Eilers 12 IJbeeld Foundation 6 Photography studio Merkelbach 7 Showcase 1: The first photographs of Amsterdam 1. Portrait of Philip Jacob Waller, Hendrik Jan Waller and Karel Jan Waller, around 1845, daguerreotype (reproduction), archives of the Waller Family and the Waller Family Foundation 2. Group portrait of a couple and their six children, around 1845, daguerreotype (reproduction), archives of the Waller Family and the Waller Family Foundation 8 3 4 5 6 7 3. View of the Amstel facing the 5. The Paleis voor Volksvlijt or ‘Palace 7. Open Havenfront (former entrance of the Kloveniersburgwal of Industry’ under construction, Amsterdam harbour), 1856-1858, canal, May-June 1857, photo 1862-1863, stereoscopic photo by stereoscopic glass plate diapositive by Benjamin Brecknell Turner A. Jager (reproduction) by Pieter Oosterhuis (reproduction) (reproduction of a paper negative) As seen from the Oosterdoksdijk On the right, the Halvemaansbrug or 6. Dam Square, 1856-1858, facing the Schreierstoren and the Prins ‘Half-Moon Bridge’ and the ’s-Grave- stereoscopic glass plate diapositive Hendrikkade. On the right, the Nieuwe landseveer quay. by Pieter Oosterhuis (reproduction) Stadsherberg or ‘New City Inn’, the site The Monument to the People’s Spir- of the modern-day Amsterdam Central 4. The Paleis voor Volksvlijt or ‘Palace it shown in 1830, colloquially known Station. of Industry’ under construction, as ‘Naatje on the Dam’, which was 1862-63, stereoscopic photo by A. unveiled in 1856, with the Beurs van Jager (reproduction) Zocher commodity exchange in the The structure of the building as seen background. from the main hall. 9 Showcase 2: Jacob Olie 1. Oudeschans, February 1863 As seen from the Montelbaanstoren tower facing the bridge across the Recht Boomssloot canal. On the right, the entrance to the Ridderstraat, and on the left, the entrance to the bridge across the Oudeschans canal. 1 0 2 3 4 5 6 2. 5 Bokkinghangen (literary ‘Hanging 5. Mast yard ‘De Hoop’, 18 Grote Buckling’), 1862-1864 Bickersstraat 18, as seen from a The gate to the ‘Cat House’, named af- pier on the Westerdok, January- ter its gable bearing the image of a cat. April 1862 On the right, shipyard ‘De Hollandsche 3. Jacob Olie, 1862-1864 Tuin’. In the background, the gables Self-portrait with hat, pipe, and walking of the houses along the Grote Bick- stick, standing behind a chair bearing ersstraat. his little dog. 6. Wind-driven sawmills and wood 4. 10-11 Zandhoek, 1862-1864 stores along the western edge of On the left, at number 10, the Olie the city, 1861-64 family home. The woman standing in As seen from the ‘De Steur’ mill, looking the doorway is Christina Olie (1829- south out onto the Kattensloot (the 1910), Jacob Olie’s sister. Out on the modern-day Jacob Catskade). At the street is greengrocer Betje with her cart time, sawing wood was still done using of produce. wind force. 11 Showcase 3: Jacob Olie 1. Weteringschans and the Paleis voor Volksvlijt (Amsterdams Crystal Palace), March-April 1892 As seen from the balcony of 116 Weteringschans. In the front, the pile driving scaf- folds for the construction of the buildings on 120-124 Weteringschans. 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 2. Quay on the Prinseneiland or 4. Haarlemmerplein square and 6. Tweede Weteringplantsoen, April ‘Princes’ Island’, facing the Nieuwe the Haarlemmerpoort gate, 21 1902 Teertuinen (literally: ‘New Tar September 1894 Facing the Weteringschans and Nieu- Yard’) quay, 1890 In the foreground, Dirk Eskens, the we Vijzelstraat, with the Eerste HBS On the right, the Sloterdijk Bridge and photographer’s nephew, with his two or ‘Higher Civic School’ (a three-year the entrance to the Sloterdijkstraat. young sons. secondary school for boys) on the left, On the left, the windlass used by tar and the Eerste Ambachtsschool, the company ‘De Roovos’ to lift barrels of 5. Utrechtsestraat at the height first vocational school, on the right. tar from barges on the Prinseneilands- of the bridge across the gracht. Prinsengracht, 20 June 1898 Facing the Kerkstraat en Keizersgracht. 3. Dam Square, 6 June 1895 In the foreground, sisters Christiene and As seen from the Commandantshuis or Marietje Bouchier. ‘Commander’s House’ facing the Nieuwe Kerk or ‘New Church’, with the entrance to the Nieuwendijk on the right. In the foreground, the Monument to the People’s Spirit shown in 1830, colloqui- ally known as ‘Naatje on the Dam’ (torn down in 1914). 31 Unknown photographer, Portrait of Hendrik Jan Waller en Karel Jan Waller, around 1845, daguerreotype. Archives of the Waller Family and the Waller Family Foundation (Showcase 1) In 1839, the year that the principle of photography was publicly announced, there were already photographers in Amsterdam, but their photographs are lost. The oldest photographs in the Stadsarchief are daguerreotypes, images on a light- sensitive metal plate, and preserved in a family archive. 41 Jacob Olie, Self-portrait,1862-1864 (Showcase 2) Jacob Olie (1833-1905) was trained as a carpenter and structural engineer. With his first camera, which he built himself, he photographed a dreamy Amsterdam in the years 1861-1864, barely touched by modernisation. When Olie started photographing again in 1890, the city had changed radically: dynamic, self-confident and building a new future. Until 1904 Olie would take thousands of - high quality - photographs, and his images still influence our view of Amsterdam around 1900. George Hendrik Breitner, Haarlemmerstraat, 1906-1907 (Showcase 4) George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923) was above all a stubborn painter. With his camera and in his sketchbooks he captured everything that interested him: servants and passers-by on the street, working-class neighbourhoods and construction sites in the city. 51 Showcase 4: George Hendrik Breitner 1. 112-114 Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, 1908 Construction site for an office building. 1 6 2 3 4 5 2. Prinsengracht canal as seen 4. 2 Prinsengracht (on the left), 5. Oudezijds Achterburgwal at the from the bridge across the 1892-1896 height of number 4-6 (on the Lauriergracht, 1895 2 Prinsengracht housed the taproom right), 1894-1898 Breitner lived near here from 1893 and liquor store traditionally known as On the left, the rear of the houses along through to 1899, on 8 Lauriergracht. De Blauwe Druif, ‘The Blue Grape’. the Zeedijk. 3. Haarlemmerstraat, with on the left the entrance to the Binnen Wieringerstraat, 1906-1907 71 Showcase 5: Bernard F. Eilers 1. Audience at an equestrian event on the Museumplein square, 1914 1 8 2 3 4 2. Stromarkt, 1915-1921 3. Oudekerksplein square, 1907-1911 4. Leidseplein square, October The dome of the Ronde Lutherse Kerk On the left, 9 Oudekerksplein. Facing 1907-April 1908 or ‘Round Lutheran Church’ takes centre the rear of the houses along the War- In front of the public garden at the stage; the Singel runs along the right. moesstraat. American Hotel, a coachman stands next to his horse. In the background, the Stadhouderskade. 91 Showcase 6: Photography studio Merkelbach 1. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (Mata Hari) (1876-1917), 1915 Mata Hari visited Amsterdam in 1915 to perform her famed Indian Dances at the Stadsschouwburg or Municipal Theatre. She was sentenced to death for espionage in France in 1917.