The Nederlands Fotomuseum opened in 2003, commissioned by an Amsterdam amateur photographer, Hein Wertheimer. After his death, he left almost ten million euros behind with the commission to establish a photography museum. To this end, the Nederlands Foto Instituut, the Nederlands Fotoarchief and the Nationaal Fotorestauratie Atelier came together in the Netherlands Fotomuseum. The museum is now saving Dutch photo history, creating beautiful exhibitions to show photographs to the public, and the archives of Dutch photographers stay preserved for the future.
Netherlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam
The museum is known as Fotomuseum Rotterdam, even though it has a national function in the field of Dutch photography. Since 2007 the Fotomuseum is located in an old workshop of the Holland-America line. The entrance of the museum overlooks the quay where cruise ships moor weekly in Rotterdam. More than one hundred thousand people have visited the museum.
The collection of the Photomuseum already consists of about six million prints, slides and negatives. Complete archives of photographers from the Netherlands are managed in the museum and shown to the general public during exhibitions. The aim of the museum itself is to continue to grow as an international platform for Dutch photography. They continue to grow through both its acquisitions as well as donations from companies and individuals.
Exhibitions at the Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam
At this moment the following photo series can be viewed:
- Tall tales from the valuable collection of the Nederlands Fotomuseum
- The Collection illuminated by Marwan Magroun
- The Migrant by Anaïs López
Because of the Corona measures, the museum is closed and it is possible to view the collections from home.
Take a look at the Nederlands Fotomuseum at home
2 things to do after visiting the Netherlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam
Close to the museum, a hundred meters walking away, is the former office building of the Holland-America Line. This line transported about five hundred thousand people to and from America. Nowadays, Hotel New York is receiving its guests in the authentic building. Here you can enjoy a sweet snack or for example, enjoy the beautiful view over the port of Rotterdam while enjoying a drink on the terrace.
Café Rotterdam is located a little further along the quay where you can look out from the inside through the enormous windows of the Cruise terminal. You can see the Nieuwe Waterweg where ships always pass by, the Erasmus bridge is also good to see and on the other side of the water you can see the centre of Rotterdam.
