Since the magazine ‘Voor ’t jonge volkje’ (1875-1934) was aimed at a broad target audience (6-16 years), ‘Voor de kinderkamer’ – the first magazine for children aged 5 to 8 years – was a most welcome addition. The stories were written in simple words, printed in big letters, and richly illustrated. Every volume was published in book form.

Short stories and poems filled most of Voor de kinderkamer. The themes the magazine dealt with were taken from young children’s daily life (events like picking apples or having fun on the ice, imaginary worlds (visiting the land of Cockaigne or fairy woods), and the animal realm. The editor, P. Louwerse, also adapted old folk tales and fairy tales for the children. The back of the magazine contained a contest with prizes.

Morals were laid on thick in Voor de kinderkamer, particularly in the nineteenth century. The message behind the story remained important in the twentieth century, too: the stories demonstrated how valuable friendships are and that emotional outbursts, such as arguments and fits of jealousy, don’t lead to anything. We do not know the names of the contributors to the magazine.

In the beginning, most illustrations in Voor de kinderkamer originated from outside the Netherlands. Every issue featured a full-page color picture. The other illustrations were placed between the texts: line drawings, prints, and old Dutch silhouettes. In 1914, Dutch artists (among whom Jan Wiegman, Freddie Langeler and Ro Keezer) began to play a significant role as contributors to the magazine. From 1898 on, photographs started to appear on a small scale.

Digitized: vol. 1 – vol. 49, vol. 50, no 10, no 12, vol. 51-vol. 52

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