By: Jan Miorelli

Jan Miorelli — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 13:28:33 +0000

I’m curious about the fundraising effort in 1972 or ‘74 selling 300 red tiles called “Saskia Tiles” discovered in the cellar of Rembrandt’s house on Jodenbreestraat for $100 each. I found an issue of the Holland Herald magazine (Volume 9 Number 7) in my childhood Pan Am travel files. It was part of “an all-out campaign to raise cash for restoration work”. The house was in danger of falling down from heavy traffic on the street & the neighboring building was being demolished for an office block. Selling the tiles was the first step in fundraising along with symbolically selling 30 new wooden pilings at $2,000 each (donors were supposed to be marked by a plaque outside the building). The Chairman for the foundation, K.G. Boon is the final quote of the article “If the building isn’t provided with new foundations before demolition work starts on the adjacent building, it could easily cave in. Even now new cracks appear in the walls daily.” I was only 14 years old at the time and didn’t have $100, but wonder how many sold, if one is on display in the museum (& how much they’re worth today!)

Comments on: Rembrandt House Museum

By: Jan Miorelli