September 2023
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland
Unknown photographer
Oud Batavia / Ancient Batavia
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Tuesday October 4th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Tuesday October 4th, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
ephemera n. things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.
It is incredible that these ephemera(l) menus with their attendant rotogravures (a form of gravure printing of superb contrast and quality) have lasted 85 years, probably stored away in someone’s bookcase, only to be purchased by me in an op shop (charity shop) in Melbourne, Australia just recently.
This is probably the first time these images have seen the light of day and been published for decades… most likely since they were given to the passengers aboard the K.P.M. ships T.S.S. Nieuw Holland, T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland and T.S.S. Op Ten Noort in 1938-1939.
Information and details on the ships construction are detailed in the posting but I could ascertain nothing about who took the photographs for the menus. In all likelihood the photographs were either a) taken by a (most likely) Dutch photographer employed by the shipping line or b) taken by a Western photographer living in Asia under brief from the shipping line or c) taken by a local photographer under similar direction. Whoever took the photographs (and I believe these images to be the eye of one person) displayed a magnificent understanding of portrait and landscape photography in the Western tradition… whilst also exoticising the Indigenous people and places (with their “heathen tombs”) for consumption – pardon the pun, as the images are on menus – by a Western clientele. Nevertheless the photographs are incredibly beautiful and direct. There is no flim flam here. And in that sense these images remain constant, constant in their historical link to cultures which they depict and valuable as such.
Just imagine being a first class passenger literally only a few months before the outbreak of the Second World War traversing the Java Sea in absolute luxury, wearing black tie, and dining on “stuffed eggs with caviar,” “veal cutlets a la Richelieu,” “larded Calfsliver,” and “Coupe Peche Melba” while being attended to by uniformed waiters! And then on the front cover of your menu (note different photographs on menus from the same day) photographs of barefoot Indigenous people from the various stops that the liner will make on its journey.
However, the status of humans will matter very little in the maelstrom that will engulf the region after the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, for people from Burma through Thailand, Singapore, Malaya, Indonesia, Dutch East Indies, Philippines, and New Guinea and more, and those defending those countries, will all suffer under the yoke of Japanese aggression and brutality. The very waters that these glamorous liners sailed would become the scene of sea battles, death and destruction.
If anybody has any information on the photographer(s) if you could please contact me at bunyanth@netspace.net.au I would be most grateful. Thank you.
Dr Marcus Bunyan
.
Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image.
Unknown photographer
Krugdansers op Nias / War Dancers at Nias
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Nias (Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias language: Tanö Niha) (sometimes called Little Sumatra in English) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago (Kepulauan Nias) of which the island is the centre, but also includes the Batu Islands to the south-east and the small Hinako Islands to the west.
Location of Nias, Indonesia
Public domain
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Chineezenwuk in Oud-Batavia / Ancient Batavia – Chinatown
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Old Batavia, the Jewel of Asia
In its heydays in the 16th century, Batavia was known as “The Queen of the East” and “the Jewel of Asia”. Its Sunda Kelapa harbour was abuzz with merchant vessels from Europe, China, India and from throughout the Indonesian archipelago, loading in and sailing away with precious nutmegs, pepper, tea, coffee, ceramics, cloths and other exotic products of the time. The warehouses were stacked with spices, tin and copper. The successful trade in Batavia filled the coffers of the Netherland’s Treasury.
Center of the VOC Dutch East India Company’s administration was the Stadthuis with its wide front plaza, around which were the Court of Justice, banks and other important buildings. Later the city expanded to the west bank of the Ciliwung river, where the Dutch built a fortress, a city wall and canals, outside which was Chinatown and the homes of the indigenous people.
This entire area, covering 1.3 square kilometers is today called the Old Batavia, present day part of North and West Jakarta.
Anonymous. “Old Batavia, the Jewel of Asia,” on the Wonderful Indonesia website Nd [Online] Cited 22/08/2023
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Rustschuren in de Toradjalanden / Rice Barns in the Toradja Country
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
The Torajans are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the regency of Tana Toraja (“Land of Toraja”). Most of the population is Christian, and others are Muslim or have local animist beliefs known as aluk (“the way”). The Indonesian government has recognised this animistic belief as Aluk To Dolo (“Way of the Ancestors”).
The word Toraja comes from the Buginese language term to riaja, meaning “people of the uplands”. The Dutch colonial government named the people Toraja in 1909. Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colourful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.
Text from the Wikipedia website
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Type van Timor Koepang / Timor Koepang Type
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Kupang (Indonesian: Kota Kupang, Indonesian pronunciation: [ˈkupaŋ]), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 Census, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 468,913. It is the largest city and port on the island of Timor, and is a part of the Timor Leste – Indonesia – Australia Growth Triangle free trade zone. Geographically, Kupang is the southernmost city in Indonesia.
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Friday September 23rd, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Rotogravure
A printing system using a rotary press with intaglio (a design incised or engraved into a material) cylinders, typically running at high speed and used for long print runs of magazines and stamps.
The rotogravure printing process (commonly shortened to gravure) is a method of intaglio printing. Gravure printing works by applying ink to a substrate with the use of a metal plate that is typically mounted onto a cylinder. This plate is often made of copper or chrome.
Diagram of rotogravure process
CC BY-SA 3.0
Unknown photographer
Heidengraf Te Samosir (Toba Meer – Sumatra) / Heathen Tomb at Samosir (Lake Toba – Sumatra)
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Sunday September 25th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Samosir, or Samosir Island, is a large volcanic island in Lake Toba, located in the north of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Administratively, Samosir Island is governed as six of the nine districts within Samosir Regency. The lake and island were formed after the eruption of a super volcano some 75,000 years ago.
Lake Toba (Indonesian: Danau Toba, Toba Batak; romanized: Tao Toba) is a large natural lake in North Sumatra, Indonesia, occupying the caldera of a super volcano. The lake is located in the middle of the northern part of the island of Sumatra, with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft), the lake stretches from 2.88°N 98.52°E to 2.35°N 99.1°E. The lake is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, 30 kilometres (19 mi) wide, and up to 505 metres (1,657 ft) deep. It is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world. Toba Caldera is one of twenty geoparks in Indonesia, and was recognised in July 2020 as one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks.
Bisajunisa
Lake Toba, Samosir Island and the surrounding hills taken from Tele Samosir
17 February 2019
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Sunday September 25th, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Passer Te Fort de Kock (Sumatra) / Market at Fort De Kock (Sumatra)
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Thursday September 29th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Fort de Kock was a 19th-century Dutch sconce fortification established over a hill in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Around the fortification, a new settlement grew, which eventually grew into the city of Bukittinggi, the second largest city in West Sumatra. Although the remnants of the mound and some cannons can still be seen, the original buildings on top of the sconce have been demolished.
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Thursday September 29th, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Vrouwen van Nias / Women of Nias
Nd
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Friday September 30th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Single sheet recto
The Great Barrier Reef. T.S.S. “Nieuw Holland” September 30th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Single sheet verso
Unknown photographer
Early photograph of the newly built T.S.S. Nieuw Holland
c. 1927-1928
Courtesy of Dr Reuben Goossens
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland, K.P.M. Line
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland was built for KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart Mij) by the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Co (Netherlands Shipbuilding Co) in Amsterdam. She was launched on December 1, 1927. After her completion on April 20 1928, she headed for Asia and commenced regular services from Malaya, via Singapore, Dutch East Indies (today’s Indonesia), to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Nieuw Holland and her newer sister, T.S.S. Nieuw Zealand, maintained a regular service between Australia and Asia until the outbreak of the war. These two KPM sisters were regarded as two of the most graceful pre-war liners to operate between Australia and Asia, with their magnificently decorated lounges clad with fine timbers featuring elaborate carvings. Their external appearance gave them a casual tropical feel being pained all white and buff to yellow funnels.
In 1940, Nieuw Holland headed for Melbourne where she was modified to become a troop transport ship for up to 1,000 troops. Upon completion she joined the Royal Navy, but she continued to be operated by her Dutch crew. She and T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland joined regular convoys between Europe and the Middle East, although Nieuw Holland did operate in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean for a short time. Late in 1941, she received yet another modification but his time in the UK increasing her capacity up to 2,000 troops. Both T.S.S. Nieuw Holland and her sister T.S.S. Nieuw Zealand were part of the November 1942 invasion of North Africa.
Specifications
Built: 1928 by Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Co, Amsterdam – Yard 187
Engines: 2 Stork steam turbines – 7.500 SHP
Propeller: One
Speed: 15.5 knots
Length: 160.60m – 527ft
Width: 19.00m – 62.30ft
Tonnage: 10.903 GRT – 1958 11.215 GRT
Passengers: 123 First class – 50 Third class passengers
1958 – 155 all first class passengers
Crew: 200
Troops: 1940 – 1,000. 1941 – 2,000
Dr Reuben Goossens. “The KPM Sisters: SS Nieuw Holland – SS Nieuw Zeeland,” on the ssmaritime.com website Nd [Online] Cited 21/08/2023
Unknown photographer
Bataksche Vrouw / Batak Woman
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Saturday October 1st, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing ethnic groups. Which are related groups with distinct languages and traditional customs (adat).
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Saturday October 1st, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Danser van Tanimbar / Dancer from Tanimbar
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Sunday October 2nd, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
The Tanimbar Islands, also called Timur Laut, are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. The largest and most central of the islands is Yamdena; others include Selaru to the southwest of Yamdena, Larat and Fordata to the northeast, Maru and Molu to the north, and Seira, Wuliaru, Selu, Wotap and Makasar to the west. The Indonesian phrase timur laut means “east of the sea” or “northeast”.
Tanimbar Islands in the south of Maluku Islands
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Sunday October 2nd, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Prauwen in Oud Batavia / Praos in Ancient Batavia
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Tuesday October 4th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland dinner menu. Tuesday October 4th, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Prauwen in Oud Batavia / Fishing Craft in Ancient Batavia
April 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland menu. Wednesday October 5th, 1938
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Holland luncheon menu. Wednesday October 5th, 1938
Commander P.M. Verstelle
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland
Unknown photographer
Tempel Te Koeboetambahan (Bali) / Temple at Koeboetambahan (Bali)
December 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland. Monday 2nd May, 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Kubutambahan is a district in the regency of Buleleng Timur in northern Bali, Indonesia. It contains a number of notable temples such as Pura Meduwe Karang which have been painted in recent years.
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland luncheon menu. Monday 2nd May, 1939
Commander C.L. Van Dierendonck
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
KPM postcard of the T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland
1928-1939
Courtesy of Dr Reuben Goossens
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland, KPM Line
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland was launched on January 6 1928 and was completed on April 12 1928. She departed Rotterdam and headed for Asia where she commenced regular services from Malaya, via Singapore, Dutch East Indies (today’s Indonesia), to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Like her sister the T.S.S. Nieuw Holland, she maintained a regular service between Australia and Asia until the outbreak of the war. Her external appearance had that tropical look which was unusual for that time being pained all white and with her twin buff to yellow funnels. In 1935 due to engine problems, she was fitted with a new set of more efficient turbines at Mij Fijenoord in Rotterdam.
In 1940, with the war having commenced the SS Nieuw Zeeland was stripped of her passenger fittings and refitted into a troop ship in Singapore to accommodate up to 1000 troops and just a small number of passengers. She, like her sister the Nieuw Holland was handed over to the British Royal Navy, but the Dutch crew continued to serve onboard with an additional 43 members. She joined convoys sailing to the Middle East and Europe. Then in 1942 SS Nieuw Zealand was involved in “Operation Torch” being the invasion of North Africa, however, after she had disembarked her troops successfully and was heading homeward and sailing in the Mediterranean, she was suddenly tragically torpedoed by a German U-Boat, number U407, on November 11, 1942, in position 3557′ N-03° E.. With the damage being severe she sunk reasonably fast, but most on board were able to get off the ship, although there were 15 lives lost due to the torpedo explosions and subsequent fires.
Specifications
Built: 1927 by Rotterdamsche DD Mij. Rotterdam – Yard 142c
Engines: 2 x Geared Steam Turbines by Mij Fijennoord – 8,000 SHP
Propeller: One
Speed: 15.5 knots
Length: 160.60m – 527ft
Width: 19.00m – 62.30ft
Tonnage: 10.906 GRT
Passengers: 123 First class – 50 Third class passengers
Crew: 200
As a Troop ship in 1940
Troops: 1,000
Passengers: 14
Crew: 243
Dr Reuben Goossens. “The KPM Sisters: SS Nieuw Holland – SS Nieuw Zeeland,” on the ssmaritime.com website Nd [Online] Cited 21/08/2023
Unknown photographer
Raksassa Te Sanoer (Bali) / Temple Guard at Sanoer (Bali)
December 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland. Friday 26th May, 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
Sanur is a seaside town in the southeast of the island of Bali, in Indonesia. Its long stretch of beach offers shallow waters. Colourful jukung fishing boats rest on the sand, backed by a paved cycling path. The Pura Blanjong temple is built from coral and has inscriptions dating from the 10th century. Sanoer is a popular tourist destination thanks to its monuments and memorials.
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland luncheon menu. Friday 26th May, 1939
Commander C.L. Van Dierendonck
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Lègong-Meisje (Bali) / Lègong Girl (Bali)
December 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland. Sunday 26th May, 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland luncheon menu. Friday 26th May, 1939
Commander C.L. Van Dierendonck
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Tempel Te Koeboetambahan (Bali) / Temple at Koeboetambahan (Bali)
December 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland. Sunday 28th May, 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland luncheon menu. Sunday 28th May, 1939
Commander C.L. Van Dierendonck
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
Nias-Kruger / Nias’ Warrior
December 1938
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland. Wednesday 31st May, 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
T.S.S. Nieuw Zeeland luncheon menu. Wednesday 31st May, 1939
Commander C.L. Van Dierendonck
K.P.M. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
T.S.S. Op Ten Noort
Unknown photographer
Oude Balinees / Old Type of Bali
December 1938
ss. “op ten NOORT”. Thursday 8th June 1939
K.P.M. line
Rotogravure De Unie
Bifold pamphlet recto
ss. “op ten NOORT” DINNER a la Carte menu. Thursday 8th June 1939
K.P.M.. line
Bifold pamphlet interior
Unknown photographer
T.S.S. Op Ten Noort at Circular Quay, Sydney
Nd
Australian National Maritime Museum
Object no. ANMS0047[155]
T.S.S. Op Ten Noort was a 6,076 ton Dutch merchant ship built in 1927 for the Dutch Royal Packet Steam Navigation Company (KPM). It was based in Batavia, Java. The vessel arrived in Sydney on 4 January 1936 and berthed at West Circular Quay, departing just over two weeks later on 20 January.
In 1941, during World War II, Op Ten Noort was taken over by the Royal Netherlands Navy and was refitted as a hospital ship. The vessel was bombed by Japanese aircraft in 1942 and soon after being repaired it came under Japanese control and was renamed Tenno Maru, operating for the Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Company. In 1944, it was yet again renamed Hikawa Maru and was still used as a hospital ship.
The vessel was scuttled in August 1945 at Wakasa Bay. In 1953, the Dutch Government lodged a claim against the Japanese Government for 700 million yen as compensation. The Japanese Government paid about 100 million yen in compensation to the Dutch Government in 1978.
Text from the Australian National Maritime Museum Flickr website
KPM registered the ship at Batavia, Dutch East Indies, where the company was headquartered. Her code letters were TFCQ. She began her maiden voyage on November 9, 1927. She joined Plancius on the route from Singapore to Tanjung Priok via Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, the Maluku Islands, and Bali. In later years, KPM transferred Plancius and Op Ten Noort to serve the east coast of Java, from Batavia to Deli Serdang Regency via Muntok, Singapore and Belawan.
Her first class cabins each had one or two berths. Her first class public areas included lounges, bars, a smoking room, and a tropical verandah. In 1933 part of her first class accommodation was converted into two two-person de luxe suites with lounge, bedroom, two bathrooms, and private deck (veranda). She had 18 second class cabins, which had either two or four berths. Deck passengers were accommodated on her tween deck, which had a lounge and a cafeteria. In 1934 the call sign PKEA superseded her code letters.
Text from the Wikipedia website
Unknown photographer
T.S.S. “Op ten Noort” of the KPM as a passenger ship
Nd
Public Domain
Unknown photographer
T.S.S. Op Ten Noort, photo taken late twenties early thirties(?), probably in port of Belawan (Medan), Dutch East Indies
c. late 1920s-1930s
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
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