The shipping company “Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland” (SMZ) existed from 1875 to 1989. SMZ served lines from the Netherlands to England. First, in 1875, the port of destination was Sheerness. Then, in 1876, Queensborough became the new port of destination. Provisional disembarking also occurred in Dover after a fire blast had broken out in Queensborough.
The company doubled the amount of service in 1887 so as to fulfill the Dutchmen’s demand.
Around 1900 the volume of cargo brought by the “Great Eastern Railway” to Harwich increased. So “Zeeland Steamship Company” had to invest in new ships. The cargo capacity on the line to Folkstone also needed to be increased in 1911. The latter line, however, soon came to an end.
The shipping company came to an agreement with “London and North Eastern Railway” and chose Harwich as the new port of destination in 1927.
After the commissioning of car ferries, SMZ and “Sealink” merged in 1968. “Stena Line” bought “Zeeland Steamship Co.” in 1989.
Collectors of historical postcards seek after, and collect illustrations of the ships running between the Netherlands and England.