Dear Friends of The Curaçao Museum,
The Curaçao Museum and the Nederlands Fotomuseum warmly invite you to the
Opening of the New Exhibition
Gallery of Honour on Tour: Soublette et Fils.
Date
Thursday, December 18, 2025
19.00 to 21.00
Location
The Curaçao Museum
Van Leeuwenhoekstraat z/n, Willemstad
Photoghraph of ‘De Handelskade’, Willemstad, Curaçao, ca. 1888-1890. Photostudio Soublette et Fils, collection Nederlands Fotomuseum.
An iconic Handelskade by Soublette et Fils photograph returns to Curaçao
For this exhibition, a remarkable photograph from the Gallery of Honour from the Nederlands Fotomuseum is traveling to Curaçao: the historic image of the Handelskade in Willemstad, made by the prestigious photo Studio Soublette et Fils, which was run by Felix Roberto Casper (Robert) Soublette and his son Robert Joseph (Tito) Soublette. They operated at the Waterkant in Willemstad from the late 19th century and were one of Curaçao’s leading studios around 1900, remaining active into the early 1920s.
This iconic historic photograph captures an exceptionally lively scene along the Handelskade in Willemstad, Punda. The quay is crowded with workers who are loading and unloading goods. The atmosphere is bustling and dense with movement. Barrels, sacks, crates, and wooden boxes are stacked and scattered across the cobblestone street, each object part of the steady rhythm of the maritime trade.
A vivid moment in the economic life of nineteenth century Willemstad captured forever by the Soublette’s enabling us a unique view into the past.
Nederlands Fotomuseum: share your story
The Nederlands Fotomuseum invites visitors to pause in front of the image of the handelskade and reflect.
What does this photograph evoke in you?
Which memory, thought, or emotion surfaces when you look at the Handelskade from more than one hundred years ago?
Your personal story adds a new layer of meaning to this iconic image: your perspective, your memory, your voice.
The Curaçao Museum: help us identify the faces
The Curaçao Museum adds a local historical layer to this collaboration. Alongside the photograph of the Handelskade, we present a selection of portrait photographs from our own collection, also made by the Studio Soublette et Fils, more than a century ago, some even older.
These studio portraits demonstrate the craftsmanship of Robert Soublette and his son Tito, who were among the most important photographers on Curaçao around 1900 and held the title of official purveyor to the Royal Household from 1906.
But one challenge remains with our portrait photographs from our own collection…
The names of the individuals in these portraits were never recorded.
The faces survived. The stories did not.
Therefore we now turn to the Curaçaoan community.
Do you recognize a face? A family resemblance? A portrait similar to the one hanging on the wall at the home of a grandfather or great grandfather? You may find him here in the exhibition.
With your help, these anonymous portraits can be reconnected to names, families, and memories.
Together, we may be able to restore the history to an image.
We warmly welcome you to join us for the opening and experience the Handelskade photograph up close, explore the historic portraits of individuals, hopefully not long forgotten, and share your personal story or recognition.
The Curaçao Museum and The Nederlands Fotomuseum look forward to welcoming you at the opening.
The exhibition ‘Gallery of Honour on Tour: Soublette et Fils’ will be on view until Saturday, 7 February 2026.
This project was made possible with the collaboration of the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the VriendenLoterij, and The Curaçao Museum. A Big thank you goes to the National Archive of Curaçao for providing us with the scanned versions of our photo collection of Soublette et Fils. Stay Tuned as we will be collaborating with them in on online campaign to find out more about the story behind our portraits.
For more information on the Gallery of Honour on Tour: https://nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/en/eregalerij-on-tour/de-handelskade-willemstad-curacao/