History: Geïllustreerd Weekblad voor Fotografie  1894-1910

The Dutch photographic journal Geïllustreerd Weekblad voor Fotografie (Illustrated Weekly Magazine for Photography) was published for 17 years, from 1894-1910. The masthead on the title page for yearly volumes owned by this archive indicate the “Weekblad” was the “Official Organ of the Amateur Photographers Association “Rotterdam” from at least 1903-1905, and most likely associated with the group much earlier. From 1893-1900, (1898 missing) the weekly was promoted as the Official Organ of the Nijmegen Amateur Photographers’ Association M.L. (1.)

The journal was initially published in Apeldoorn, a city in the province of Gelderland in the center of the Netherlands by Laurens Hansma from 1894-1906. Hansma, (1860-1920) according to a short biography by the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam was “an enthusiastic amateur photographer….the publisher of more than fifteen books on photography, including Kleurenfotografie, Fotografie voor den natuurliefhebber, Gomdruk and Het fotografeeren in de tropicen. Laurens Hansma is seen as an important figure in the spread of photography in the Netherlands.”

From 1907-10, the “Weekblad” was then published in Zutphen, located approximately 30 minutes southeast of Apeldoorn- also in the province of Gelderland, by W.J. Thieme & Co.

At the end of its 17th year of publication in late 1910, the journal was purchased and incorporated into the pages of the Dutch photographic journal “Lux” (geillustreerd tijdschrift voor fotografie-illustrated magazine for photography). Now published by J.R.A. Schouten, Lux (1889-1927) took on the former weekblad’s top editor, J. J. M. M. Van Den Bergh, with him joining the growing publications editorial staff.

Title page details:

Geïllustreerd Weekblad voor Fotografie

Edited and collaborated by Dr. J.H. Duyvis, Adr. Boer, F. v. Meerendonk, J. J. M.M van Den Bergh, Rusticus, Luit. L.E. W. Van Albada, W. H. IDZERDA, W. E. ASBEEK BRUSSE, W. F. F. OPPENOORTH, E. W. BRASCAMP, etc. etc.

TENTH YEAR 1903.

SATURDAY 3 JANUARY.

Published by LAURENS HANSMA, Apeldoorn.

Official Organ of the Amateur Photographers Association “Rotterdam.”

1  January 1903:  (translated from the Dutch)

It is always a solemn moment, that on the evening of the 31st of December of the year, when the clock strikes its twelve strokes. We stood on the border and followed the hands of the clock, in order to wish family and friends a happy New Year at the very moment that we would cross it. At that moment we do not think about how few of the good wishes that we knew and received the previous time have actually come true; we shake off the old, the past and hope for the future.

But there are also always lucky ones who can look back on the past period with fear and satisfaction. Well, among these, dear Readers! belongs the Weekly for Photography.

It is not pomposity that puts these words in our mouths; On the contrary, it is with gratitude that we look back on the past year and that we wish our subscribers a Happy New Year in every respect in a completely festive mood. That under “all respects” also the photographic activities want to be understood, need not be said, since the first bond between our Readers and us, is formed just by Photography.

We thank our subscribers for their looks of interest and appreciation, which we received several times and which made our task easy and pleasant.

We on our part have always tried to take the wishes of our Readers into account as much as possible and . . . . we believe with success, since the number of subscribers has continued to increase and reached a hitherto unknown height.

We hope that this will continue.

The more subscribers, the more we can achieve on our part. Our heliogravures of the past year, which will contribute so much to the appearance of the bound year, are there to prove these propositions also the competitions already announced by us, which will certainly serve to promote Photography; since they are an incentive for the Amateur and Professional Photographer to try to deliver the best as much as possible.

On the one hand cooperation, on the other a peaceful struggle, in which the opponent is valued and, a beautiful competition for the highest and best, we must achieve a general progress in our profession, in which, as in other tasks of art, one has never finished studying.

– Editor and Publisher

1. List of Dutch amateur photographers and their circle before 1900: Dissertation: Mattie Boom: Doctoral degree: Erasmus University Rotterdam: “Kodak in Amsterdam The Rise of Amateur Photography in the Netherlands 1880-1910” (p. 142)