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Whilst visiting Amsterdam, I spotted the figure below on the corner of a street (at first floor level). Does anybody know the background history to it please?

This short reference to the statue's restoration in 2002 appears on the Ons Amsterdam web page.


Ons Amsterdam, 1 May 2002

The unveiling of the restored statue "De Transvaalsche Boer" at the end of March marked the completion of the restoration of the corner house at Gasthuismolensteeg 20/Herengracht. The now colourful, narrow "tower house" was designed in 1900 as a shop and residence by Gerrit van Arkel. Above the corner entrance stands the statue of a South African Boer by Johannus Zeitz, which refers to the Boer War (1899-1902).

From the above, it can be seen that the statue by Johannus Zeitz was commissioned by Gerrit van Arkel for a new shop and residence in 1900. N. van der Dusse's cigar shop on the ground floor was called "De Transvaalsche Boer", so the statue above the door was an advertising device.






A number of advertisements for the cigar shop appeared in Amsterdam newspapers during 1900.







Only a couple of years after opening, the shop is listed as being up for sale/lease.






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N. van der Dusse's cigar shop was opened on 28 October 1900. The postcard above was presumably produced for this event.




At Gasthuismolensteeg 20, on the corner of Heerengracht, a simple facade has made way for a shop built in modern style, where the figure of a Transvaal Boer stands out prominently. Mr N. van der Dusse is opening his cigar shop there this evening (Google Translate).


Amsterdam Monumentenstad notes:

The client for the shop, designed in 1900 by architect G. van Arkel, was Johanna Maria van Kerkhoven, widow of C.F. van Dus, who remarried J.J.M. Hooft. The reference to the Boer War of 1900 is said to have originated because either the widow or her son fervently sided with the Boers. In 1900/01, the son, N. Van der Dusse, ran the cigar store "De Transvaalsche Boer" in the building. Its purpose quickly changed: in 1902 it became an art dealership, in 1908 a greengrocer, and in 1919 a shoe shop.


This photograph shows the building in 2002, immediately after restoration, but before "De Transvaalsche Boer" had been placed back on his pedestal.



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Thanks, that's very interesting.

It's now made me think whether or not there is a figure of a Boer War Tommy somewhere in the UK that was used to advertise cigars.

British tobacconists certainly did use military figures as advertising devices, as this example shows. Sold through Bonhams on 10 September 2024 for a staggering £57,550. I'm sure there must have been similar figures dressed in foreign service khaki.

Described as a large English carved and painted tobacconist advertising figure of an officer of the Black Watch. Probably made by John Anderson, circa 1880.


Courtesy of Bonhams

Large English tobacconist's advertising figure

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Cripes, £57,550! And he appears to be missing something (pipes?) in his hands.