This is the Bijenkorf, one of the most prestigious department stores in Amsterdam which has stood here since 1915. We're here to talk about Benno Premsela, who you can see in the photograph from the collection of the Jewish Historical Museum.
He led the store's display and interior department during the 1950s and early 1960s. He created hundreds of window displays which were popular, with people coming from across the city to see them.
Benno Premesela was a designer and interior architect and an important figure in the post-war Dutch art world. Benno Premsela was also one of the first Dutch people to publicly come out as gay, appearing on television in the 1960s.
In 1962, he became the chairman of the COC, a Dutch advocacy organisation for LGBTQ+ people. Established in 1946, it is the oldest existing advocacy organisation for LGBTI+ people in the world. As chairman, he brought the COC group into mainstream public debates in the 1960s, advocating for equal rights and emancipation. He was chairman until 1971.
In the photographs you can see Premsela’s Lotek lamp, designed in 1982, which is considered an icon of Dutch style. You can also see a handbag designed by Premsela between 1945 and 1950.
For the next stop, cross Dam Square and find the entrance to the street Nes by a souvenir store.
