How it all started

We are still located in the building where it all started. A sailmaker was established there and in winter time he had less customers. The Schokker family then started a simple photo studio on the 1st floor.

Grandpa Zwarthoed, who helped photographing tourists, was able to take over the business in 1939. During the war it was struggeling, partly because the tourists stayed away. Fortunately the little grocery store they started, provided still a bit of extra work. That way they could keep the building until better times came around.

Growth after the war

After the war, visitors came back and the photo studio could flourish. It became very busy. A lot of staff was needed for running the studio. Photos were colored by hand and everything was sent by mail, all over the world.

A first: color photography

Grandpa Zwarthoed also went along with his time and was one of the first to start working with color photography. That was a meticulous job, working with the chemicals at high temperatures.

Now and the future

The current owner finds it important to honor the studio’s history and to propagate where it all started. He maintains the old values and finds it important that everyone is received and helped in a friendly manner. We not just take a photo we provide a memory of a special, fun or perhaps emotional day. Now we can handle groups of 100 people or more. The craftsmanship and the friendly atmosphere of yesteryear still lives on however. And we hope it will last for much longer like this.

We want to thank the many visitors we have welcomed in our studio and honor our pasionate photographers and friendly employees!