Het Stoomboots / spel 1831 - 1842

Aron Hijman Binger created "Het Stoomboots/spel," or "The Steamboat Game," using etching, around the mid-19th century, in the Netherlands. The game visually encodes the experience of steamboat travel, an emerging technology at the time, reflecting the socio-economic changes of the Industrial Revolution. The numbered squares guide players through a narrative, from boarding to enjoying the ship's amenities like cabins and coffee. Each square subtly comments on Dutch society, perhaps alluding to class divisions in cabin quality or the cultural importance of coffee. As an etched game produced in Amsterdam, it also speaks to the evolving commercial market for leisure and entertainment. Understanding the game's significance requires research into Dutch printmaking history, 19th-century technological innovations, and the social history of leisure. This allows us to perceive the game not just as entertainment, but as a commentary on contemporary Dutch society.