Prince Alexander, Prince of Orange

Alexander, Prince of Orange, was heir apparent to his father King William III of the Netherlands from 11 June 1879 until his death.

Hidden pockets under daily skirts

Women kept belongings like money and handkerchiefs in a linen or cotton bag, measuring 15 by 30 centimeters, which they wore tied around their waist under their skirts. Access to this pocket was through slits in the skirts, and it allowed them to carry personal items discreetly.

Stuffed rolls for fashionable hips

To achieve the fashionable wide-hip silhouette, women of the working class and rural areas wore a stuffed roll called a beuling or wijvenspek tied around their waist. Wealthier women sometimes used reed or horsehair structures called paniers instead to achieve the same effect.

The introduction of the steam railway

The first railway line in the Netherlands, between Amsterdam and Haarlem, opened in 1839. This journey took approximately 25 to 28 minutes, marking a significant increase in speed over traditional methods.

Railway competition and travel affordability

When steam railways appeared, they could crush competition by setting third-class tickets to match the price of the much slower trekschuit. For example, a worker earning one guilder a day could travel about 40 kilometers in the lowest class of a canal boat or significantly further using the new, faster rail connections.

Children worked instead of schooling

Education was not compulsory, and many working-class children worked in factories or on farms; around 450,000 children were recorded as working daily in 1859.

Living in one room

Working-class families often lived with six to ten people in a single room, which served as kitchen, bedroom, and living space. Generation after generation slept together in a wooden bedstead.

Bread prices dropped after 1856 tax repeal

After the government abolished the tax on milling in 1856, the price of a loaf of fine wheat bread in Haarlem dropped from 47 cents in December 1855 to 34 cents in February 1856.

Jenever used to alleviate hunger pains

To ease the hunger sensation caused by a monotonous potato-based diet, many workers drank jenever, which was relatively cheap and consumed by both men and women.

Cost of clothing and footwear

Around 1850, a pair of shoes cost 2.50 guilders, and a man's suit cost 4 guilders.

Worker daily earnings and household costs

Around 1850, an adult male worker earned about 1 guilder per day, while a family needed approximately 9 guilders per week to make ends meet.

Common jobs for ordinary people

The majority of people worked in agriculture or as manual day laborers, often living at the edge of subsistence. Other common roles included small-scale craftsmen such as bakers, tailors, and weavers, while many women worked as domestic servants or agricultural laborers.

Grueling working days and child labor

Working days were exceptionally long, often lasting 12 to 16 hours, and started early in the morning. Children as young as eight or ten were frequently employed, working alongside adults in exhausting conditions for minimal pay.

Frequent daily mail deliveries in cities

In large Dutch cities, mail carriers could deliver mail six to seven times every 24 hours.

The introduction of postage stamps

The postage stamp was introduced in 1852, changing the system so that the sender, rather than the recipient, paid the costs. Recipients were initially suspicious of prepaid mail, sometimes feeling insulted as if the sender thought they could not afford the postage themselves.