Early film

Film found its way to the Netherlands as a technical novelty at the end of the nineteenth century. The first films in the Netherlands can be seen as attractions at fairs or in variety theatres. However, within a decade film gets its own place in the first permanent cinemas.

Feestelijk bezoek van H.M. de koningin Wilhelmina aan Rotterdam (NL, Emile Lauste, 1899)

The Oldest Dutch Films in the Eye Archives

The vast majority of films made in the first decennia of film history are lost.

Hondenkarren (NL, Onbekend, 1899)

Dutch Film Production until 1900

In June 1896, Amsterdam-based photographer M.H. Laddé made three short films that were shown in Christiaan Slieker's travelling cinema from Leeuwarden.

Travelling Cinema

Around the turn of the 20th century, practically every fair had a travelling cinema. With their constantly changing audiences, they could get by with a fixed set of films.

Still from Prinsengracht (1899), Emile Lauste.

68mm: Mutoscope and Biograph

The films of the Mutoscope and Biograph are the oldest films in our vaults.

Het lijden van den scheepsjongen (NL/FR, Alfred Machin, 1912)

Machin and Other Foreign Filmmakers

Between 1907 and 1914, the Netherlands was visited by a number of foreign filmmakers. The Belgian cameraman Alfred Machin was one of the first to do so.

Collection still Comment se fait le fromage de Hollande FLM12744

Comment se fait le fromage de Hollande (FR, Alfred Machin [?], 1909)

Pathé Frères in the Netherlands

The French firm Pathé Frères dominated the film world at the beginning of the 20th century; many of the films shown in the Netherlands in those days originated from their company.

Albert and Willy Mullens; image from a programme of Bioscoop Alberts Frères, circa 1910.

Film Shows by Alberts Frères

A luxurious movie tent with full evening programmes and Willy Mullens as a rousing explicateur – that was the formula that made Alberts Frères rising stars in 1905.

Tableau voorstellende het uitgaan van de groote St. Michelskerk te Zwolle (NL, Onbekend, 1899).

Local Films

When looking at travelling cinema programmes it is striking how one genre frequently crops up: the ‘local film’. This genre came into fashion around 1899.

Film Music from the Orchestra Pit

During film’s early years, in the days of travelling cinema, music was used only sporadically. But that was about to change.

Still from Bloemenvelden Haarlem (1909, Willy Mullens).

The use of colour in early Dutch film

The Eye collection contains a short film made in about 1910, in which two women, a child, and a man walk through beds of flower bulbs. But which film is it?

Picture postcard of Variété Flora at Amstelstraat 20-28, Amsterdam.

Variety Theatres

In most of the Netherlands films were being screened at fairs, in travelling cinemas, but in major cities, film screenings regularly took place in variety theatres.

Still from Weeshuis-quaestie (NL, Emile Lauste [?], 1899)

Theatre Revue with Seven Short Films

On 27 September 1899, the revue 'De nieuwe prikkel' premiered at Amsterdam's Grand Théâtre. Seven short films with shots of Amsterdam were shown during the revue.

Postcard of Rotterdam's Coolsingel, showing the triangular facade of the Tivoli Winter Garden on the left, where cinema screenings were held from 1903 onwards.

The first permanent cinemas

For the first time, one could speak of autonomous film exhibition in a permanent venue on a regular basis.

Victoria, Wilhelm, Dreyfus and Kruger

Just as in the countries bordering the Netherlands, the monarchy played a major role in the popularisation of film as a new medium in the Netherlands.

Still from De mésaventure van een Fransch heertje zonder pantalon aan het strand te Zandvoort (NL, Willy Mullens, Albert Mullens, 1905)

Filmic Chases

At the beginning of the 20th century, the ‘chase film’ became a popular genre.

Promotional still from Les amours de la Reine Elisabeth (FR, Louis Mercanton, 1912)

The Art Film

Around 1907, a crisis in international film production presented itself: the number of film viewers stagnated. The film industry launched a quality offensive with art films.

Nöggerath’s Film Studio in Sloten

In September 1911, Filmfabriek F.A. Nöggerath opened its own film studio on the Sloterdijk in Amsterdam.

F.A. Nöggerath’s Film Company

Franz Anton Nöggerath, sr. was one of the first theatre owners who shifted to showing films.

Theo Frenkel Sr.

Theo Frenkel, the first Dutch director abroad

During the war, Theo Frenkel Sr. grew into one of the Netherlands’ most active filmmakers, with a production of eight full-length feature films in three years.

A young Jean Desmet poses next to a barrel organ, circa 1896.

The Desmet Collection

The Desmet Collection consists of more than 900 films, as well as posters, photographs, programs, and the business archive of theatre owner and film distributor Jean Desmet.

Willy Mullens (r.) experimenting with sound and film, 1907.

Cinéma parlant

On 11 November 1911, the Mullens brothers started up a series of ‘cinéma parlant’ (‘talking film’) shows in the Paleis voor Volksvlijt (‘Palace of Industry’) in Amsterdam.