Veilinggebouw de Zwaan is the oldest and only remaining auction house in the center of Amsterdam. The history begins in 1818 when a number of auctioneers auctioned household effects in several buildings on the Singel. This complex of buildings was known as 'De Zwaan', named after the brewery that was located there from 1578 to 1790. At the end of the 19th century, the auction building proved such a success that it had to expand, first with a few houses in Spuistraat and in 1913 with the move to the stately building on Keizersgracht, no 474, a former merchant's house from around 1675. The reactions in the newspapers at the time were very positive: NV 'de Zwaan' has now opened its new building at 474 Keizersgracht near Leidschestraat. It is a beautiful and fresh building, not lavishly furnished, but functionally… Previously there was a courtyard in the middle of this building. This has been removed during the renovation, but the open space has been preserved, closed at the top with a glass roof. Thus one has received good light in all the halls and from above one has a free view of the lower halls. In the late 1930s, Gerard van den Brink entered the De Zwaan Veilinggebouw at a very young age. In just under twenty years he managed to rise to auctioneer and was given the opportunity to buy the auction house. Meanwhile, with his daughter Babette at the helm, De Zwaan has become a real family business.