Foam Photography Museum

Foam is the photography museum of Amsterdam, and it occupies a fine canal house on the Keizersgracht, one of the main canals of the seventeenth-century canal ring. The name stands for Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, and the museum opened in its present form in 2001. It has become one of the most respected photography museums in Europe, known for its lively programme and its willingness to show both established masters and young photographers, and it is among the most visited museums in the city for the medium.

The way the museum is arranged is part of its appeal. The galleries are spread over several floors of the old house, with high ceilings, large windows and wooden floors, and several exhibitions run at the same time, normally about four. They cover many genres, including documentary, art and fashion photography, portraits and landscapes, and they change several times a year. Over the years the museum has shown the work of famous names such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton, as well as emerging photographers whose careers are only beginning. Because the programme is always changing, it is worth checking what is on before you visit.

Photography is a medium that benefits from a thoughtful setting, and the house provides it. The quiet rooms suit contemplation, and it is easy to spend time with a single image, and the museum often provides background about the photographers and the context of the work. Beyond the exhibitions, Foam has a library of photography books, a bookshop with an excellent selection, a cafe and a commercial gallery, Foam Editions, where prints can be bought. It also publishes Foam Magazine, an international title that has become a reference for contemporary photography, and runs a programme for young photographers called Foam Talent.

The museum is within easy reach of other sights in the canal ring. The Canal Belt, the Bloemenmarkt, the Begijnhof, the Amsterdam Museum, the Amstelkring Museum and the nine little streets, the 9 Straatjes, are all within walking distance, and canal cruises leave from several points nearby. Opening hours and ticket prices change, so check before you go, and book ahead on busy days.

Foam suits photography lovers, art fans and visitors who want a more contemporary counterpoint to the great Dutch painting collections of the Rijksmuseum. Allow around ninety minutes to two hours, and take time for the bookshop and the cafe.