Progress, Industry, Trade, Agriculture and Shipping (1898) Simon Miedema

For a long time, the White House was the tallest office building in the Netherlands. It was built in 1897-1898 to a design by Willem Molenbroek, commissioned by the brothers Gerrit and Herman van der Schuyt. The building was built in Art Nouveau style and has eleven floors. Originally six statues by sculptor Simon Miedema were placed near the first floor. The sandstone figures are under a canopy and on pedestals, both of which are made of bluestone. After the bombardment of 1940, five figures remain, namely the personifications of 'Maritime', 'Progress', 'Agriculture', 'Industry' and 'Trade'. The sixth 'Labor' statue was destroyed in the Second World War. The figures stand on round plateaus with gilded inscriptions. 'Zeevaart' was originally on the north facade, but was moved to the south facade of the White House after the war to replace 'Arbeid'. Few physical memories of the 19th century have survived in Rotterdam, but Miedema's sculptures are a reminder of this period. They express the Rotterdam entrepreneurial spirit. These works of art are an integral part of the remarkable White House; the first skyscraper in Rotterdam and even labeled by some as the first skyscraper in Europe. The White House is in the top 100 of Dutch UNESCO monuments.