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15 September 2001, the exhibition ‘75 years of
HEMA: Between Trend and Pastry’
HEMA (Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam - the
Dutch Unit-Price Co. Amsterdam) was founded in 1926. Now, 75 years
later, the company has become part of our national cultural heritage.
This part of our cultural heritage is not expensive, is well designed,
run by women (80% of the employees are female) and a place where
almost everyone stops by. It is also a cultural heritage in another
sense of the word: millions of Dutchmen dress in HEMA clothes,
wash with HEMA products, use HEMA light-bulbs and paint their walls
with HEMA paint. HEMA is the taste of the Netherlands.
How has HEMA managed to bring this about? Who were the people
behind the scenes? How did the idea originate to start carrying
the famous 'HEMA sausage'? Why does each year see new, trendy baby
fashions on the shelves, whereas paint has been sold in the same
old can for many years now? How did one remark by Toon Hermans
get three million people to visit HEMA? And especially: what have
the Dutch bought from HEMA during all these years? With which products
did HEMA manage to win over the Dutch public?
 
The backbone of the exposition comprises 75 products, each one
a characteristic HEMA product from a certain year. A few examples:
crepe paper from 1926 (in the original packing), linen buttons
from 1927, a Santa Claus from 1935, eau de Cologne from 1950 (with
the original refiller), Hemax washing powder from 1960, Miss Helen
mascara from 1962, a hand drill from 1969, men's socks from 1976,
a toy car from 1984, etc. etc. These 75 products illustrate how
HEMA has evolved over the years from a cheap shop 'for the people'
into a low-priced shop where everyone - rich and poor alike - stops
by without feeling embarrassed.
Special attention is paid to the personnel. Who were they then, and
who are they now? Attention is also paid to the war period, when
HEMA - as a typically ‘Jewish’ shop - had a hard time.
A
special feature is the annual design contest, which one year
was won by the successful whistling kettle 'Le Lapin'. In addition
to its famous Tompouce pastry (11,000,000 sold each year!), the
exhibition shows the trendy spectacles that just wouldn't sell
at all. And in the bell tower, there are photographs of well-known
Dutchmen wearing multicoloured sweaters made of HEMA knitting
wool.
The Beurs van Berlage Museum composed the exhibition. In doing
so, it made grateful use of many items from the HEMA archives,
including
photos, articles, letters, products, etc. |
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