Picturesque People and Pleasant Places in Holland

Journey made by Eustace and Eunice Alliott by car through Holland in 1931.

A four reel film recording details of a motor tour undertaken by Eustace and Eunice Alliott through six of the twelve Dutch provinces. The first reel records details of the beginning of the Alliotts' journey in Scheveningen and their tour through the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Utrecht. Scenes comprise: sightseeing trips in The Hague, Delft, and Amersfoort, as well as views and people encountered on the road. Shots include men at work in the harbour at Scheveningen; activities on the beach at Scheveningen; sightseeing trips in The Hague to the Bosch, the ‘House in the Woods’ and the Peace Palace; street scenes alongside canals in Delft and Amersfoort; rural scenes on the road to Gouda and near Baarn. Keen to record details of traditional scenes, the shots in the film also focus on: a man on a barge at Bodegraven; a windmill near Utrecht with an extending walkway across the canal for pedestrians; houses at Spakenburg; and children in traditional costumes at Bunschoten and the Zuider Zee. The film concludes with shots of cattle being milked in a field near Baarn, the milk being transported on a small sailing craft and milk churns on small carts pulled by dogs in an unidentified Dutch town/ city. The second reel records details of their visit to Amsterdam and the beginning of their tour through the Dutch province of North Holland. Scenes include: sightseeing in Amsterdam, including shots of canals in the Achterburgwal and Oude Schans, the Mint Tower and flower market by Singel, men at work on barges and the variety of craft on the canals, concluding with a shot of the house owned by Rembrandt. Keen to record details of traditional scenes and shots of the unusual, the shots in the film outside Amsterdam also focus on: people in traditional clothing and activities in harbours. These sequences include: an encounter with four girls knitting while walking near Volendam and four younger children; women washing laundry close to open water, laundry hanging out to dry in a harbour; old fishermen who pose for the camera; boats being readied for sailing and a catch being unloaded; people walking along streets in Volendam and within its harbour; a catch of fish on a boat, some of which is loaded into baskets. The film concludes with a shot of locals, many in traditional clothing, going to church and leaving it. The third reel records details of their tour through the Dutch province of North Holland, including a visit to the Marken peninsula in the Markermeer. Scenes include: the boat trip to Marken; a harbour scene in Marken featuring an amputee at work; children in traditional clothing at play in Marken; the cheese market in Alkmaar; wooden clogs being loaded onto a barge in Alkmaar. The film concludes with a shot of cattle by a canal with a windmill in the distance in the countryside in Friesland. Footage at Alkmaar includes: the ancient bell tower and weigh-house; an aerial shot of the Alkmaar cheese market and pan shots over the town from the bell tower; porters and traders in the cheese market; cheese being weighed; a buyer examining cheese; a bargain being struck between seller and buyer; cheese and wooden clogs being loaded onto canal barges. The fourth and final reel records details of their tour through the Dutch provinces of Friesland, Gelderland and Zeeland. Scenes include: sightseeing trips; sights and problems encountered on the journey; observations of the activities and dress of local inhabitants. Shots include: the Watergate and canals in Sneek; traditional forms of dress observed in Sneek, Leeuwarden, Middleburgh, Walcheren and Veere as well as in Goes on the Island of Beveland; a traditional method of fishing on the Sneeker Meer; water traffic on a Friesland canal; the Nijmegen ferry; the Alliott car being winched out of a ditch after an accident; the boat on which the Alliott’s were travelling being towed to shore after its tackle broke; a congregation leaving a church in Veere; Veere harbour; a Dutch landlady. The film concludes with a final shot of a windmill and shots of the sea from the ferry.

Featured Buildings

Reel 1 Quay and port, Scheveningen, The Hague Scheveningen pier Scheveningen beach Kurhaus, Scheveningen Huis ten Bosch [House in the Woods], The Hague Peace Palace courtyard fountain, The Hague Grote Markt, Delft Nieuwe Kerk, Delft Oostpoort, Delft Koppelpoort, Amersfoort Reel 2 Intersection of Oudezijdsachterburgwal and the Herengracht, Amsterdam Munttoren [Mint Tower], Amsterdam Flower market by the Singel, Amsterdam Rembrandt House, Amsterdam Volendam harbour Café Centraal, Volendam harbour, Volendam Church attendance, St Vincentius Church, Volendam St Vincentius Church, Volendam Reel 3 Marken harbour Reformed church, Marken Weigh-house and bell tower, Alkmaar Cheese market, Alkmaar Streets around weigh-house, Alkmaar Reel 4 Waterpoort [Watergate], Sneek Fountain at Rozendaal, nr Arnhem Rozendaal castle Town Hall, Middleburg, Zeeland Church, Veere, Zeeland Harbour, Veere, Zeeland

Intertitles

Reel 1 covers the provinces of South Holland and Utrecht: from The Hague and Delft, by Amersfoort, to the Zuider Zee Scheveningen is the seaport of The Hague Happy holiday makers on the sands of Holland’s most fashionable watering place. Strong winds and flying sands make basket chairs a necessity on Dutch beaches. The Bosch with its shady walks and tree-girt lakes and streams is the The Hague’s greatest charm. Near the “House in the Woods” – the Queens [sic] Summer Palace – we found a merry Hungarian band. Polar bears and seals in Copenhagen China adorn the fountain in the central court of the Peace Palace Delft, a city of quiet canals lined with leafy avenues. The Groote Market [Grote Markt] with the Nieuwe Kerk – and – a ponderous street organ. The Oostpoort with its twin spires leads to the Great Outer Canal Scenes on the way to Gouda. At Bodegraven. A windmill near Utrecht The mill’s extensible bridge was unsuited to the portly. A fine old Watergate, and other views at Amersfoort A bonny baby bunting took the bun at Bunschoten! Isn’t she a darling! There was no need to hunt for film stars near the Zuider Zee. Spakenburg has no hotel no restaurant no postcard shop and is unspoilt. Pastoral scenes near Baarn not far from Hilversum. How the milk went to market. To be continued on reel 2. Picturesque People and Pleasant Places in Holland Reel 2 Our wanderings now led us to Amsterdam then to Volendam, only a few miles away. Amsterdam is the Dutch Venice here are the “Achterburgwal” and “Oude Schans” The Mint Tower and flower market by the Singel. A busy traffic plies on Amsterdam’s many canals and under its 1200 bridges. Where Rembrandt lived – his house door is seen to the right of the awning across the street. In less than an hour the Englishman’s idea of the Dutch came true near Volendam. Cleanliness comes next to Godliness even in Volendam, - but the odour is not always that of sanctity. The harbour is a joy to all whose noses do not ‘tune in’ too sharply. Some old salts (assorted) their faces were their fortune – not the camera-man’s! “And then the men and the rigging and the way ships move” (Masefield) We saw many a gaily dressed fisher lass in striped skirts and winged cap The fishing nets earn bread and butter for all, (the visitor provides the jam!) The silver harvest of the sea Prows like those of Viking ships – and delightful reflections More quaint scenes in the village Church parade – before and after – with an interlude – Volendam To be continued on reel 3 Picturesque People and Pleasant Places in Holland Reel 3 We visit Marken; then Alkmaar in North Holland, a “dead city” of the Zuider Zee, which we cross into Friesland A few miles of sea separate Marken from Volendam:- Quaint scenes console the traveller for separation from the rest of his petty cash Marken children are a delight, but the seeming absence of boys is a puzzle! Baby boys are dressed almost like their sisters but at five they are promoted to “breeks” Anyone would suspect that this is a boy More Marken scenes Alkmaars [sic] pride is its ancient weighhouse and bell tower Seen from the Belfry Alkmaar and its famous cheese market, held every Friday from five till twelve noon Only in Alkmaar does cheese attain its full dignity and importance The cheeses go merrily by, enthroned on quaint curved skips borne by white garbed servitors in gay hats The weighhouse handles some 7000 tons of cheeses yearly A buyer shows interest but decides to feel the pulse and take the temperature of some unprotesting cheeses Finally – and literally – a bargain is ‘struck’ Chimes ring gaily from the belfry as the spheres of concentrated indigestion roll and bounce into the canal boats After cheeses – feet Dutch shoes look most unsympathetic to corns! We crossed the Zuider Zee to Hindeloopen in Friesland – more pastoral scenes Young married couples are really pampered in Friesland: the stork is given an honoured and handy nest in each village! To be continued on reel 4 Picturesque People and Pleasant Places in Holland Reel 4 We visit Sneek and Leeuwarden; then Arnhem and Nijmegen in Guelderland; and make for Zeeland and home Sneek has a charming Watergate, busy waterways, and quiet backwaters where children fish The traditional headdress of gold is worn by the ‘grannies’, who are still on the gold standard Quaint and original ways of fishing are seen by the Sneeker meer A long net is pushed into place by the pole, which is then used to make splashes and frighten the fish into it Scenes on a Friesland canal Leeuwarden headdresses – not quite Paris models, but their best Practical jokes at Rosendaal [Rozendaal], near Arnhem: the visitor is trapped by fountains suddenly spurting from a terrace and runs the gauntlet of a ramshackle bridge We crossed the Rhine by ferry at Nijmegen on our way to Zeeland More quaint costumes at Goes (island of Beveland – in Zeeland) In Middleburgh [Middleburg] Some Walcheren lasses Adventures near Veere Dutch ditches provided a greater thrill than Alpine precipices. The track gave way beneath our wheels! Next day We went sailing – but the ancient tackle broke in a “capful” of wind and we had to wait to be salvaged Leaving church Veere Veere Harbour The remains of a great seaport A charming Dutch “char” The long homeward wake The day – and our wanderings – drew to a close The End

Other Places

Scheveningen; the Bosch, The Hague; Delft; Bodegraven; nr Utrecht; Amersfoort; Bunschoten; Spakenburg; nr Baarn; Amsterdam; nr Volendam; Volendam; Marken; Alkmar; Sneek; Sneeker meer; Leeuwarden; Rozendaal, nr Arnhem; Nijmegen, Goes, Island of Beveland; Middleburg; nr Veere; Veere; Veere harbour;