Really enjoyed this photography gallery!…read more
First things first--with it's unassuming townhouse facade along the canals, I initially walked up the steps to the museum's next door neighbors on the left, only to be corrected by a kindly elder gentleman who happened to be leaving the museum, and asked me if I was looking for Huis Marseille, then pointed to the entrance.
Second, props to the museum's architectural or building director for the fancy front door. As I walked up, the door (like a regular townhouse door, not a glass sliding door) opened automatically, silently and seamlessly by itself (like magic! or maybe I'm easily impressed...)
The layout of the museum is of two connected 17th century historic homes, so upon entering there is no lobby, a straight, narrow hallway leads towards the back of the house with rooms on either side. Further the staircases are narrow, steep and located in less conventional access points than modern construction, especially on the upper floors. So definitely not handicap-friendly. For the lower floors they've done some renovations in the ground/basement level for lockers, coat room, bathrooms, some offices.
The ticket counter and small gift shop are in the left room in the entrance hallway. The staff were polite, quickly scanned my "i amsterdam" card*, mentioned where the lockers were, the starting point, and to follow the signs in the halls and rooms for the flow of the exhibits.
The two photographers showcased in November were Michella Bredahl and Kusukazu Uraguchi. The former comprised of female portraiture in the Netherlands, specifically focusing on three subjects: 1) a family of five sisters over the course of over ten years, 2) sex workers in their homes, 3) her mother, herself and her sister from photos originally taken in the 70s. The latter's Shima no Ama" also centered on portraits of women, though specifically of all-female collectives in Shima, Japan, that dive and collect seaweed for sale, who also work and live together. The topics were presented well and I found the images poignant and educational in helping to learn about the fractured and wild variations in human experience.
Time-wise I'd recommend 45min to 1hr. Regular admission is €12.50 for adults, €6.50 for students and seniors, discounts available for certain passes. 10am-6pm daily except open to 9pm on Thursdays.
For more info:
huismarseille.nl
*This is a pre-paid tourist card which provides access to over 100 attractions (limit to one entry per attraction), with costs dependent on number of days/hours of validity (24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours).
**yelp note: review number 1200!
