Edam’s Timeless Charm: 1920 Cheese & Canals in Radiant Color!

This captivating colorized footage unveils the picturesque town of Edam, North Holland, Netherlands, in 1920—over a century ago—offering a vibrant glimpse into its pre-war charm along the former Zuiderzee, now the IJsselmeer, as a silent documentary. Filmed in vivid hues, the film captures Edam’s historic 11th-century streets, the iconic Damplein with its medieval buildings, and the serene canals, reflecting its past as a thriving fishing and trading village until the Zuiderzee’s closure by the Afsluitdijk in 1932. With a population of about 5,000 in 1920, the footage showcases the world-famous Edam cheese production—round, red-skinned cheeses half the size of a football—featuring cheesemakers crafting the delicacy, alongside summer and autumn scenes of the old town, the historic shipyard where 17th-century Dutch warship commander Michiel de Ruyter’s vessels were built, and the "Chief Mouser" (a playful nod to a cat catching mice among the cheeses, possibly inspired by Downing Street’s tradition). It also includes manual operation of old locks and farmers waiting with sheep to cross canals, set against Edam’s rich history, celebrating 650 years of city rights in 2007. A dazzling window into Edam’s golden age before World War II, this restored archive grips history buffs, Dutch heritage enthusiasts, and cheese lovers, offering a vivid glimpse of the town frozen in time.