‘Schepen, puike tabak en tragiek’ paints a picture of Curaçao in the Dutch newspapers

He retired at the end of last month. At the very last minute, he published a book. In 'Schepen, puike tabak en tragiek: Curaçao in de Nederlandse krant, 1634-1795', Joop Koopmans paints a picture of how the Dutch might have perceived Curaçao in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by reading newspapers.

Curaçao: once a colony, now a popular holiday destination. The ties between the Netherlands and this Antillean island go back more than three centuries. Thanks to digitization, we are now immediately informed of important events. In the 1980s, communication via airmail was still common. Two centuries ago, it was much more difficult to exchange news back and forth. News took many weeks, if not months, to travel.

In 'Schepen, puike tabak en tragiek: Curaçao in de Nederlandse krant, 1634-1795' Koopmans delves into Dutch newspapers from 1634 to 1795. Using news reports and advertisements, he shows what readers could learn about Curaçao at the time and how this information shaped their image of the colony. In doing so, the book opens a window onto an underexposed aspect of media history: reporting on the non-European world.

Junction

In the book, Koopmans describes how Curaçao was primarily viewed in the Dutch press as a hub of shipping and trade. However, other news also reached the Netherlands, particularly regarding war, privateering, administration, and disasters. Additionally, the transatlantic slave trade, slavery, and resistance to it were given a place in the reporting. It also becomes clear how advertisements—concerning goods, deceased persons, publications, and much more—contributed to the public perception of the island.

All in all, this book sheds new light on the early history of Curaçao as a Dutch colony. It demonstrates how media played an early role in framing distant regions and societies. Especially in light of the current focus on the history of slavery, this study offers valuable historical context.

Until last month, Joop Koopmans was Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Groningen.