The Holland America Line Collectors Reference Library
Private Issue Tiles 
Besides the official Holland America Line sanctioned issues of tiles that were either for sale on board or otherwise from the Line or given away to preferred passengers, there are also some privately issues tiles depicting Holland America Line ships. I have been able to identify two such private issues, both from Canada that are worth mentioning and  both are listed here. You can reach me at tiemen @ halpostcards . com (spaces inserted to prevent autosearch by webbots)

VanderHeide Publishing Co, Ltd
The Vanderheide Publishing Co. Ltd. from Langley, BC is of Dutch origin and until recently published  the newspaper “The Windmill Herald” which served the Dutch immigrant community in North America. Over the years the company received lots of correspondence from Dutch immigrants and a recurring theme was the search for information and photos of the vessel that brought them to the New World. In response in 1978 a Delft Blue-like ceramic wall plaque was offered with a three-year subscription, featuring a pen-drawn Rotterdam quay departure scene with a generic passenger ship. This very popular 6”x6” bonus tile unlocked a steady stream of requests for tiles of immigrant ships. This resulted in the release of a private artwork of the Groote Beer, which was an immediate success and nearly 60 others followed, including nine more Holland America Line tiles. Each issue consisted of standard pre-manufactured low run (ranging in numbers as low as 50 to a more general 100), complete with a hanger and with four cork feet. The tiles are still manufactured today, Vanderheide also introduced a limited range of ships on coffee mugs, reusing the images from its tiles, but soon dropped this product when shipping proved to be problematic.. The company also provides a service of customizing (with journey date and other pertinent info) and personalizing tiles with the passenger names when ordered in quantities of 40 and more. The total series of Holland America Line tiles consists of the 12 tiles shown below. I have all tiles in my collection.. I have all tiles in my collection.
Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits
          vdh-alblasserdyk                          vdh-edam                                   vdh-groote-beer                          vdh-leerdam    

Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits
   vdh-maasdam                      vdh-nieuw- amsterdam                        vdh-rijndam                           vdh-seven-seas

Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits  Collection Spits
vdh-veendam                               vdh-volendam                             vdh-waterman                           vdh- zuiderkruis
Paideia Press
The Paideia line of tiles was launched as a spin-off product following the release of the 512-page hardcover book “To All Our Children, the Story of the Postwar Dutch Immigration to Canada” which features thumbnails of all Dutch immigrant ships. The product competed directly with the Vanderheide Co. tile issues.Through the connection of the latter with "The Windmill Herald" newspaper, the Vanderheide design had a wider Dutch audience and was able to sustain a larger market. The Paideia tiles depict a photographic image of the Holland America Line ship with text pertaining to the actual emigration from the Netherlands. Though these tiles are artistically superior to Vanderheide’s more basic line, which focuses more on the ship, they never caught on and remaining inventory was eventually disposed of through several  Dutch import stores in Ontario, Canada. Paideia also created mugs with images identical to those on the tiles. The following images depict the tiles currently known. I need all tiles for my collection.

I need this tile      
pai-maas
Others
Although the two main private issuers of privately produced tiles with Holland America Line ships are undboubtedly van der Heide and Paideia in Canada, there have been and will be others. In the display below we list those other tiles we are aware of. The rare tile below is of unknown year but was made by Zenith, The Netherlands. In consideration of the rather crude artwork, this may have been a one-up tile made by an individual or a test tile that never made it into mass production.  I need this tile for my collection.

I need this tile      
Nieuw Amsterdam - year unknown. Coll: Rijppaert

After it's decommissioning, the Rotterdam V was saved from the brokers yard by volunteers, fully restored to its old glory and is now moored in the harbor of Rotterdam, to be used as a floating hotel and conference center. The "Stichting Rotterdam" ("Rotterdam Foundation")  has issued the tile(s) shown below to commemorate the re-birth of this grand vessel.

I need this tile      
Stichting-Rotterdam-01
Copyright Tiemen Spits 1999-2013