Roeland Kavelaar emigrated from the Netherlands in 1928. He at first resided in Washington state, but later he moved to California, where he graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1934.Starting in 1936, he developed a traveling program on the Netherlands for presentation in schools. At first titled "Dutch Novelty Program" and eventually renamed "Glimpses of Holland," Kavelaar's program used costumes, various props, and oil paintings of Netherlands-related scenes, people, and maps. Under the stage name of Roeland Van Cavel, Kavelaar itinerated around the West, Midwest, and parts of the Northeast through 1949.The Roeland Van Cavel Collection, received in 2017, consists of some of Kavelaar's costumes, props, and oil paintings. It also contains various versions of his scripts, together with itineraries, posters, photographs, letters of recommendation, and other miscellaneous items.