1829

Johannes Frederik Hulk was born on 9 January in Amsterdam, as the thirteenth and last child of Hendrik Hulk, merchant, and Mary Burroughs, who was of British origin.

Circa 1842

Hulk is expected to work in his father’s trading office to learn the mercantile profession, but he yearns to be a painter like his older brother, Abraham Hulk (born in London in 1813), who was a maritime painter. Hulk moves in with his brother, who is willing to teach him painting on the one condition that he does not become a maritime painter. In addition to studying with his brother, Hulk takes lessons with Kasper Karsen, a painter of landscapes and cityscapes (and later a photographer). He also studies at the RABK (Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, ‘National Academy of Fine Arts’) in Amsterdam.

1851

Hulk marries Hermine Müller (1831-1866), a German woman. This marriage will result in six children, of which only two will survive.

1853

A daughter, Betsy, is born (death 1903).

1855

Hulk is registered in the Algemeen Adresboek (‘General Addressbook’) of Amsterdam as a storeowner of ‘schilder- en teekenbehoeften’ (‘painting and drawing supplies’) at Rokin E 167 (later renumbered as Rokin 16). The store is called ‘De Rembrandt’ (‘The Rembrandt’). They also sell office supplies. On 17 November, Hulk’s son Johannes Frederik (John) is born (death 1913).

1860

In the Amsterdam address book, Hulk’s company is registered as a ‘warehouse in painting, drawing and office supplies, etui and wallet manufacturer’.

1864

Hulk creates space for a photography studio in the building at Rokin E 167. He enters a business partnership with Pieter Vlaanderen (born in 1840), who is eleven years his junior. On 1 May, Hulk opens Atelier Hulk & Vlaanderen.

1865

Atelier Hulk & Vlaanderen takes part in the Tentoonstelling van Photographie, Photolithographie, enz. (‘Exhibition of Photography, Photolithography, etc.’) at the Paleis van Volksvlijt (‘Palace of Industry’) in Amsterdam. The entry consists of portraits without retouching, retouched portraits, and carte-de-visite portraits. At the end of July, the company opens a studio at Gelderschekade Wijk 2, No. 44 in Rotterdam under the name J.F. Hulk & Co. Just as in Amsterdam, this studio makes portraits and ‘copies’ of famous figures.

1866

Hermine Hulk-Müller dies while giving birth. Hulk marries again several years later, to his housekeeper, Margaretha Bakker.

1867

Pieter Vlaanderen leaves Amsterdam and set up his own studio in Alkmaar, which also bears the name of ‘De Rembrandt’.

1881

Hulk sells his building on the Rokin in Amsterdam.

1885

Together with his son John, Hulk is a co-founder of the Amsterdam sailing association, ‘Het IJ’.

1885-1911

Hulk resides at various locations: in Sloten (1885), in Amsterdam (1887-1901), Vreeland (1901-’04), Abcoude (1904-’07), and Haarlem (1907-’11).

1911

Johannes Frederik Hulk dies in Haarlem on 12 June. Subsequently, a brief description of his life appears in the 15 June edition of Het Nieuws van de Dag (‘The News of the Day’), in which Hulk’s qualities are described as follows: ‘Only several years ago, one was regularly able to view his work in ‘Arti’ [an Amsterdam art society], cityscapes that bore the trademark of an earlier age.’ The newspaper recalled his small cityscapes and viewed him as a representative of an older painting tradition. The fact that he was a photographer was apparently forgotten.