Sailing cutters and picturesque houses in Amsterdam’s Zandhoek district. This scene could have been painted by a Dutch master from the era when the Dutch rose to become Europe’s leading maritime power thanks to their dominance of the spice trade. – 1990

The Oostindische Huis in Amsterdam, the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC), is located on Oude Hoogstraat. The Governor-General and the Council of the Indies used to meet in the halls above the entrance. The building and its owners were closely linked to the cultivation, transport and sale of spices. – 1990

The famous, extremely picturesque Hooy spice shop in Amsterdam has been in business since 1743. It is one of the few remaining reminders of a bygone era when spices played a dominant role in the economic life of the Netherlands. – 1990

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