Expat Impressions of The Hague
In 2015 the EAC organised an exhibition about The Hague as seen through the eyes of expatriates who call this city home. The event featured photographs and writings from the EAC’s and The Hague Municipal Archive collections, as well as contributions from international schools, expatriate organisations, and other local archives.
The exhibition Expat Impressions of The Hague debuted in the Atrium of the City Hall in The Hague, offering visitors a captivating visual journey through The Hague through expatriate eyes from the 1950s to 2015. The EAC partnered with The Hague Municipal Archive and ACCESS for this initiative. Natalie McIlroy, a Scottish artist living in The Hague, curated this exhibition.
Thematic boards showcased various expatriate experiences, including housing, nature, interactions with locals, transport, customs and socialising, food and drink, and the beach. Central to the exhibition was an exploration of the concept of home for expatriates. Through photographs, letters, and journals, visitors were invited to reflect on the complex relationship between place and belonging. For many expatriates, The Hague became home—a place of welcome, fascination, and unforgettable experiences. However, it also presented challenges as newcomers navigated cultural assimilation and evolving identities.
All information was presented in English and Dutch. The exhibition also included an interactive component: observers were invited to (anonymously) write their impressions of The Hague on the provided Delft blue postcards and ‘post’ them in the vintage post box to be archived at the EAC for future expansion of the exhibition.
Aniek Smit, then a PhD student at Leiden University, provided background and an academic perspective on the exhibition. Read the full article here (PDF).
Exhibition boards
This exhibition was shown in multiple locations in The Hague region. Although the physical exhibition has concluded, its legacy continues through a digital presentation. Click on each title to explore the different themes in English:
• Housing
• Beach
• Nature
• Interactions with Locals
• Transport
• Customs
• Food and Drinks
Partners
We are grateful to Shell, The Hague Bridge, CB&I, Rabobank, the American Women’s Club of The Hague, and Petroleum Women’s Club The Hague for supporting this project.