Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Acquires Significant Swellengrebel Family Archive
The Rijksmuseum and the National Archives have jointly acquired the extensive Swellengrebel family archive, a unique collection spanning ten generations that dates back to the 17th century. This acquisition offers rare insights into the Dutch colonial past, particularly concerning the Cape of Good Hope, now part of South Africa.
The archive's most notable components include the travelogues and aquarelles by Hendrik Swellengrebel (1734-1803), documenting his three journeys through the Cape Colony. His accounts provide a critical perspective on colonial relations with the indigenous inhabitants and enslaved people in the region. Among the collection is a drawing depicting Augustus van Bengalen, one of the few enslaved individuals from the Cape whose name and portrait have been preserved.
Exploring the Swellengrebel Collection at the Rijksmuseum
Visitors to the Rijksmuseum can view a special presentation of selected aquarelles and archive pieces from June 4 to November 30, 2025. This display highlights Hendrik Swellengrebel Jr.'s travel accounts and the aquarelles created by Johannes Schumacher (?-1792) under his commission. These works visually depict the landscapes, animals, and people Swellengrebel described in his journals. A particularly rare item is a drawing made for Swellengrebel by an Oeswana San individual, illustrating local wildlife like ostriches, rhinoceroses, and buffalo.
The presentation also features a diary and drawings from sisters Johanna (1730-1753) and Helena Swellengrebel (1733-1798), who jointly kept a diary during their 1751 voyage from the Cape to the Netherlands. This document is one of the few surviving records by female passengers on a VOC ship.
Accessing the Archive: In-Person and Online
The oldest part of the Swellengrebel family archive, covering the years 1689 to 1804, will be accessible for viewing in the study room of the National Archives starting June 4. For those unable to visit in person, many of the collection's most significant items have been digitized and are available online for public access. The digitized content includes Hendrik Swellengrebel's sea and land travelogues, along with the journey journals of his sisters Johanna and Helena Swellengrebel, which can be explored via the official collection website.
Insights from the Swellengrebel Family Archive
The comprehensive nature of the Swellengrebel family archive has made it a valuable resource for historians since the 1930s. It offers extensive information about a family deeply involved in the colonial administration at the Cape, as exemplified by Hendrik Swellengrebel Sr. (1700-1760), who served as governor of the Dutch Cape Colony from 1739 to 1751. The archive also contains details about later generations who were active in legal, charitable, and medical fields within the Netherlands.
The collection's remarkable completeness includes items such as the 1751 invoice for a 112-piece Chinese dinner service bearing the family crest, which reveals the original size of the set and the costs charged by the intermediary. Additionally, a detailed procurement list for Swellengrebel Jr.'s second journey is part of the archive, noting essential travel supplies like ox-wagons for transport and shotguns and fishing nets for hunting.
The acquisition of this significant archive was carried out on behalf of the Dutch State by the Rijksmuseum, with support from the Johan Huizinga Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds and Fonds de Zuidroute/Rijksmuseum Fonds. The National Archives will oversee the management of the family archive, while the Rijksmuseum will care for the physical objects within the collection.
To discover more historical insights and artistic collections in Amsterdam, explore other museums in the city or view the full map of cultural spots on Musemap (musemap.art).
