Van Nelle

history

This Rotterdam manufacturer of tobacco, cigarettes, coffee and tea was established in 1782. In that year, Johannes van Nelle and his wife Hendrica opened a shop in Rotterdam that sold coffee, tea, and tobacco. After the death of Johannes and Hendrica (in 1811 and 1813 respectively), the firm was continued by relatives under the name De Erven de Wed. J. van Nelle.

In 1837, the company came into the hands of the Van der Leeuw family, who developed it into a large concern. The new factory building on the Schie opened in 1929, and is a prominent example of the 'Nieuwe Bouwen' architectural style in the Netherlands.

Van Nelle commissioned several films, including documentaries about architecture (directed by e.g. Jan Teunissen) and advertising films (directed by e.g. Joop Geesink).