Catalogue information
Year of issue based on postmark (see third image). In the nineteenth century, an unmarried mother was seen as a "fallen" woman and therefore her status was equivalent to that of a prostitute. On July 1, 1897, the Vereeniging Onderlinge Vrouwenbescherming (OV) was founded in Rotterdam, the first neutral organization committed to the fate of unmarried mothers and their illegitimate children. The objective of the OV was to achieve social equality between unmarried mothers and married women, and to ensure that the actions of men and women were judged by the same standard. Furthermore, the OV supported unmarried mothers, made propaganda and carried out educational work to influence public opinion and the government. Women were also encouraged to look for work and to build an independent life. They did not have to give up their children, who were taken care of when the mother went out to work, which in effect created a day-care center "avant la lettre". To this end, the OV set up homes where the children could be received. The Amsterdam department of the public transport opened the first home for unmarried mothers and their children on 1 June 1905, for which the building Gerard Brandtstraat 16 in Amsterdam was purchased. The name became Tehuis Annette, as a tribute to Annette Versluys-Poelman, one of the founders of the Vereeniging Onderlinge Vrouwenbescherming. In 1923, the Amsterdam department also bought the Middenweg 132 building to establish the Janna Children's Home, which was opened on November 28, 1923. For the care of children, the Janna Children's Home asked a contribution from the mother (in 1949 it was NLG 1.50 per week), and received a subsidy amount per child from the municipality of Amsterdam. However, the Janna Children's Home was also dependent on donations, for which events were also organized, such as a tea musical with hat show, and a performance of the Scapino ballet (both in 1951). Probably in 1954 a picture postcard appeared on which the Janna Children's Home thanked its donors and called on them to give more. On the front of this rare card, Lord Bommel and Tom Poes are depicted dropping a bag of money into the chimney of the Janna House, a design by Toonder Studios (it is unknown whether Marten Toonder made this drawing himself). [Thanks to Eric Wiggers]. In mid-2020, on behalf of the Salvation Army Foundation, the sale of the former 'Jannahuis', a shelter for women in which various non-self-contained housing units were available, will be supervised. The history of the building dates back to 1902, when the permit was issued for the construction of 'Huize Cornelia' for a private client by the firm Reinders & van 't Ende. In 1923 the property was sold to the Vereniging Onderlinge Vrouwenbescherming, after which the house was converted to 'Janna Kinderhuis'. After a merger in 1976 with Beth Palet and Tehuis Annette to form the Helping Huizen, the Jannahuis Foundation was established in 1977. In 1998 the executive activities were transferred and the property was sold to the Salvation Army Foundation. Since then, the building has been used as a shelter for women.
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