Curaçao with Sint Anna Bay – Seyffardt, 1911

“Kaart van het eiland Curaçao benevens een plan van de stad en haven.” [Map of the island of Curaçao, including a plan of the city and harbour] With inset map of St. Anna Bay featuring Willemstad and Otrabanda. Lithograph published in 1911 by Seyffardt’s Bookshop in Amsterdam. Size: 51 x 60.2 cm.

This map of Curaçao captures the island on the eve of major transformation. Following the abolition of slavery in 1863, Curaçao entered a long period of transition. The plantation-based economy, once dependent on enslaved labour, fell into decline. Many formerly enslaved individuals moved to urban areas – especially Willemstad – in search of employment.

By the late 19th century, the process of modernization had slowly begun. Willemstad developed into a key center of trade and administration within the Dutch colonies. In 1914, oil was discovered near the Schottegat, and the Royal Dutch Shell established operations on the island the following year. This marked the beginning of Curaçao’s emergence as a major oil refining hub in the Caribbean, profoundly impacting both the economy and the urban landscape.

The map depicts not only the road network and scattered villages of the then largely rural island, but also a detailed plan of Willemstad and its natural harbour – a strategic asset that would underpin later industrial expansion.

Maps like this were printed in small quantities, often on fragile paper intended for practical use. As a result, surviving examples have become rare.

Julius Lodewijk Willem Seyffardt (1827–1912) settled in Amsterdam in 1849 as a German bookseller. In 1852, he expanded his enterprise by acquiring a lithographic printing workshop, becoming both printer and publisher of prints and maps. In 1885, he acquired the map stock of the firm Widow G. Hulst van Keulen, renowned in the 17th and 18th centuries for their nautical charts.

Price: Euro 950,-