Verkade albums

Cover of 'Lente'
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Cover of Lente. Shelfmark: 3021 A 43

Books about nature, supplemented with beautiful illustrations that could be collected along with biscuits and rusks: these are the picture albums of the Verkade company. These albums sparked avid collecting among young and old alike. In doing so, they played an important role in the dissemination of knowledge about nature in the Netherlands. From 1903 to 1940, dozens of these albums were published, the majority of which were created by the well-known amateur biologist Jac. P. Thijsse.

Bread, biscuit, and tea light manufacturer Verkade launched a new advertising campaign in 1903. Collectible cards were added to their pre-packaged bakery products, which people could keep in a specially issued album. These wordless albums primarily featured images of fairy tales. Although the albums were a success, Verkade itself was not satisfied with the quality of the picture albums originating from Germany. After three of these so-called fairy tale albums, it was therefore time for a different approach. No more albums purchased from Germany, but albums of entirely Dutch manufacture.

Dutch nature in words and pictures

The idea was not only to appeal to the pleasure of collecting, but also to teach both children and adults something. Increasing the love for native nature and the Dutch landscape among the general public led Verkade to the theme that would be central to every subsequent collector's album: nature. In the introduction to the album *Lente*, the concept for the first albums was made clear:

‘We would attempt to give an account of the year, of the various seasons, of flowers, birds, butterflies, and beetles, which can be found everywhere in our small country, yet which are known by only a few.’

The idea for this theme was also linked to the growing interest in nature and its conservation at the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time, teacher Jac P. Thijsse, together with fellow teacher Eli Heijmans, had already published several books on flora and fauna in the Netherlands and wrote columns for the Algemeen Handelsblad. Since the albums had to contain not only realistic illustrations but also informative text, Thijsse was a logical choice. After some hesitation about associating his name with an advertising campaign, Thijsse agreed. The ability to disseminate knowledge about nature on a large scale and the reassurance that the Verkade name would not be prominently featured in the albums were the deciding factors. Naturally, the 750 guilders he received per album must also have been a nice bonus.

Now that a writer for the texts had been arranged, artists still had to be found who could create the images for the collectible pictures. The Verkade family consisted of art lovers and felt that the pictures for the albums had to be of high artistic quality. For the first album, three different artists were commissioned whom Verkade knew from his own family and circle of acquaintances: Willem Wenckebach, Jan van Oort, and the then fifteen-year-old Jan Voerman Jr. High-quality Dutch companies were also commissioned for the printing and binding.

An album for every season

In March 1906, the moment finally arrived: the first album, *Lente* (Spring), lay on the shelves. Both customers and the press received the album with great enthusiasm. Although the album was considerably more expensive at fifty cents than the earlier fairy tale albums, over 17,000 copies had already been sold a year after its release. Consequently, several (revised) editions would follow. The album was highly praised. For instance, *De nieuwe courant* of March 2nd stated regarding Thijsse’s text: ‘He describes the awakening plant life so vividly that, alongside the explanatory pictures, one sees much more between the lines of the lovely colors and forms that adorn fields and woods in spring.’ To complete the album, 144 different pictures had to be collected, including Lesser Celandine, Copper butterflies, and Tree Pipits. Duplicate pictures could be sent to the Verkade company itself for exchange. In addition to the option of sending pictures, Verkade also began organizing special, well-attended exchange fairs.

  • Pictures with various plants, including Coltsfoot and lichens, from Lente (Spring)

  • Pictures with various flowering plants and insects, including a magnolia, from Lente (Spring)

  • Pictures with various small birds, including the chiffchaff and the tree pipit, from Lente (Spring)

In the preface to the first album, readers were asked if they were interested in a sequel. However, any doubt regarding this proved unfounded. Verkade received letters not only from children but also from enthusiastic parents and teachers. Consequently, the volume Zomer (Summer) appeared a year later. In terms of design, the album was even more beautiful than Lente. It was designed entirely in the style of Art Nouveau and featured richly illustrated text pages. Improvements were made to each subsequent volume. For instance, for Herfst (Autumn), from 1908, the Latin names of plants and animals were also included in the index at the request of the reader. With the release of Winter in 1909, the series was complete.

The Dutch landscape takes center stage

Following the success of these albums, the Verkade firm wanted to release a series about the various Dutch landscape types in the Netherlands, maintaining the same quality. Between 1910 and 1913, four albums appeared, covering successively the dunes, the meadow, the Naardermeer, and forest and heath. The choice of the Naardermeer, instead of the planned subject of lakes and marshes, stems from Thijsse's fondness for this area. As a co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Nature Monuments, he had managed to save the Naardermeer from becoming a garbage dump in 1906. 
 

From flowers in the garden to animals in Artis

In the decades that followed, Verkade albums continued to appear (almost) annually, with nature as the main theme. Only during and after the First World War did the publication of albums come to a standstill for a few years. Thijsse continued to work regularly on albums, such as Texel, Paddestoelen (Mushrooms), and De Bloemen en haar vrienden (The Flowers and Her Friends). Over the years, other writers and artists were also involved, providing their own interpretation. As soon as a new album appeared, the public received it with great enthusiasm. Sometimes there were also unexpected side effects. For instance, the number of tourists on Texel increased due to the Texel album, many Dutch people acquired their own aquariums thanks to Mijn Aquarium (My Aquarium) by A.F.J. Portielje, and some biology teaching materials made grateful use of the illustrations. The popularity of the albums also prompted other companies to release their own collector's albums.

Cover of 'Vogelzang'
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Cover of Vogelzang. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z0209

From the mid-1960s onwards, Verkade released several new albums alongside reprints of previously published works. The manuscripts for these had been sitting on the shelf for years but had never been released due to the Second World War and its aftermath. Thijsse's 100th birthday in 1965 was an excellent occasion for the publication of his Vogelzang (Birdsong), and the 150th anniversary of the Artis zoo in 1988 was celebrated with the album Vogels in Artis (Birds in Artis). In 1995, Eik en beuk (Oak and birch) was published, which Thijsse wrote in the early 1930s. This twentieth album by his hand would become the last Verkade album, bringing an end to a highly successful advertising campaign after more than ninety years.

Catalogue descriptions

  • Jac. P. Thijsse; geillustreerd met plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, Jan van Oort en Jan Voerman Jr., Lente. [Zaandam] : Bakkerij "De Ruijter" der Firma Verkade & Comp., 1906. Shelfmark: KW 3021 A 43. View this 1906 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, Jan van Oort en Jan Voerman Jr., Zomer. Zaandam : Bakkerij "De Ruijter" der Firma Verkade & Comp., 1907. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6324. View the 1908 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, Jan van Oort en Jan Voerman Jr., Herfst. Zaandam : Bakkerij "De Ruijter" der Firma Verkade & Comp., 1908. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6323. View this 1908 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, Jan van Oort en Jan Voerman Jr., Winter. Zaandam : Bakkerij "De Ruijter" der Firma Verkade & Comp., 1909. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6318
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; [...] plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, Jan van Oort en Jan Voerman Jr., Het Naardermeer. Zaandam : Bakkerij "De Ruijter" der firma Verkade, 1912. Shelfmark: KW 3021 A 45. View this 1912 edition on Delpher
  • A.F.J. Portielje met medewerking van J.P.H. Portielje-Scholten; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van Jac. J. Koeman en J. Voerman Jr.  Mijn aquarium. Zaandam: Verkade’s Fabrieken, 1925. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6735. View this 1925 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van C. Rol en J. Voerman Jr., Paddenstoelen. Zaandam : Verkade’s Fabrieken, 1929. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6354. View this 1929 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van L.W.R. Wenckebach, C. Rol, J. Voerman Jr. en Sam van Beek, Texel. Zaandam: Verkade’s Fabrieken, 1927. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6326. View this 1927 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse; […] plaatjes naar teekeningen van C. Rol, J. Voerman Jr. en H. Rol, De bloemen en haar vrienden. Zaandam : Verkade’s fabrieken, 1934. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z6327. View this 1934 edition on Delpher
  • Jac. P. Thijsse, Vogelzang. Zaandam: Koninklijke Verkade Fabrieken, 1965. Shelfmark: KW BJ Z0209. View this 1965 edition on Delpher

References

  • Coesèl, Marga. Natuurlijk Verkade. Het verhaal van de albums. Warnsveld: Terra, 1999
  • Dijkhuizen, Sietzo. Jac. P. Thijsse. Een biografie: natuurbeschermer, flaneur en auteur van Verkade-albums. Amsterdam:  De arbeiderspers, 2005
  • Voerman, Peter, Marga Coesèl en Theo Spek. Mijn gedroomde Nederland. Jan Voerman jr. & de Verkadealbums. Zwolle: WBooks, 2026
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