IMAGES OF EAST AND WEST: MAPS, PLANS, VIEWS
AND DRAWINGS FROM DUTCH COLONIAL ARCHIVES
PART I: THE EARLY PERIOD, 1583-1814 [1840]
National Archives of the Netherlands, The Hague
On microfiche
At the end of the sixteenth century, Dutch seafarers and merchants burst onto the world stage with commercial and military operations that took them to the far corners of the globe. Within a relatively short time the tiny country on the North Sea, still fighting for its independence from the Spanish Habsburgs, had acquired a far-flung "seaborne empire" of its own that extended from the coasts of western and southern Africa to the Persian Gulf and South Asia and on to the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. For the east the capital event was the founding of the United Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. In the western hemisphere the continuing struggle against Spain and its ally Portugal led to the foundation of the West India Company (WIC) in 1621, which contested Spanish rule in large areas of the new world. Colonies were founded along the rivers of the Guianas where plantations based on slave labor were set up to cultivate sugar and other commercial crops.
Importance of cartography
From the earliest years, the VOC and WIC and their successor companies realized the crucial impor-tance of accurate maps and situation plans of the areas under their control and of the sea and coastal routes that gave access to these territories. Cartographers and artists were employed by the companies to chart the waters, bring the coastlines into view, trace the river courses and sound the harbors in order to provide administrators in the Netherlands with the most accurate information possible. In the colonies and trading posts the land area was mapped, the dis-position of the buildings and fortifications was recorded and artists were commissioned to sketch views of Dutch and indigenous settlements in east and west. With the parceling out of land to colonists, extensive mapping was carried out of the plantations and estates that were created for commercial farming.
The collection
The collection contains 39 atlases and so-called map books (atlases put together for internal use of an organization) and over 3,700 loose maps, drawings, plans and other visual documents. They provide rare and in many cases unique examples of Dutch cartography in the period between 1583 and the early nineteenth century. Special mention can be made of rare atlases by Waghenaer, Van Keulen and Johannes Vingboons and of unique work by Pieter van Alphen, Adrian Gerritsz. and Hessel Gerritsz. The printed guide, which is available separately, gives an overview of the works contained in the collection.
Many unique items
Much of this visual material was meant for internal use of the companies involved and hence was not published. The maps and drawings are divided geographically and are available in subsections.
Printed guide
An 89-page Printed Guide containing a short introduction, a schematic overview of the atlases and maps in the collection and extensive indexes of geographical and personal names comes free of charge with purchase of the complete set of microfiches.
Inventories
P.A. Leupe, Inventaris der verzameling kaarten berustende in het Nationaal Archief...Eerste gedeelte (The Hague, 1867) (code name VEL) (available in photocopy reprint) and S.P. l'Honoré Naber, Inventaris der verzameling kaarten berustende in het Nationaal Archief...Eerste supplement...(The Hague, 1914) (code name VELH) (available in photocopy reprint)
The Guide and Inventories are available separately.
Price: € 140
Subsections available
| Atlases* |
€ 4,255 |
| €pe |
€ 265 |
| Africa |
€ 315 |
| Asia |
€ 1,810 |
| Australia |
€ 22 |
| N. America |
€ 88 |
| Caribbean |
€ 370 |
| S. America |
€ 370 |
* See the Printed Guide for details. Prices for individual titles will be quoted on request.
Also available
Images of East and West, Part II: Collection of the Ministry of the Colonies, 1814-1963
Order no.: M304
Size: 1,929 microfiches
(six images per microfiche)
Price: € 7,550
Special combined price Parts I & II:€ 12,175
(total separately € 13,530)