LEEGHWATER, Jan Adriaensz.
Haarlemmermeer-boek. Of beschryving, hoe men de Haarlemmer en Leytse-Meer bedyken en droog maken zal ... Mitsgaders: van meest alle de meeren die in Noort-Holant tegen den Huigen-dyk en Saardam bedykt, en tot land gemaakt zyn, zedert het jaar 1608 tot het jaar 1641.
Amsterdam, Pieter Visser, 1724. 5 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With an engraved map of the Haarlemmermeer on the title page of ad 1, and a woodcut vignette on the title pages of the other works, a full-page portrait of the author engraved by Jan Lamsvelt after J. de Keyser, 3 folding engraved maps, 3 half-page engraved plates, 2 half-page woodcut diagrams, several decorated woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces. With: (2) LEEGHWATER, Jan Adriansz., Een kleyn chronykje ende voorbereidinge van de afkomste ende t vergoten van de dorpen van Graft en de Ryp ...
Amsterdam, Pieter Visser, 1724.
(3) COLEVELDT, Claes Arentsen. Bedenckingen over het droogh maken van de Haerlemmer ende Leydse Meer ... tegen tHaarlemmer Meer-boek van Jan Adriaansen Leeghwater.
Leiden, Johannes van Abkoude, 1727.
(4) VELSEN, Cornelis. Aanmerkingen over de tegenwoordige staat van de Haerlemmer Meer.
Leiden, Daniel Goetval, 1727.
(5) VELSEN, Cornelis. Aanmerkingen over de tegenwoordige staat, van de Haerlemmer Meer. Waar in wert aangetoont hoe noodszaakelyk die moet werden droog-gemaakt, en op wat wyze dit kan geschieden ... Tweeden druk, ... verbetert en verrykt.
Leiden, Daniel Goetval, 1727. Original quarter red roan, marbled paper sides. 48, 47, [1], [4], 27, [1 blank], 40, 40 pp.
€ 2,500
Enlarged edition of a famous plan to drain the Haarlemmermeer, the 170 km2 lake between Leiden, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. The work states the advantages of the plan, finds solutions for potential difficulties, and gives and an estimate of the cost. According to the author, the drainage was needed because of the danger the largest lake of Holland constituted for the safety of the neighbouring cities. Opposition was not long in coming and several critical responses were written, of which three are also present here.
Jan Adriaensz. Leeghwater (1575-1650) was a successful Dutch millwright and hydraulic engineer who had been involved in the draining of the Beemster polder in 1609-1612, which was the first lake to be reclaimed using windmills. He became famous for this engineering technique, even beyond the borders of the Dutch Republic. For the draining of the Haarlemmermeer, he estimated that more than 220 mills had to be constructed. Although his plan, first published in 1641, became very popular, with at least 12 editions following till 1764, the lake was only drained in the 19th century.
The present work also includes Leeghwaters history and description of the villages Graft and De Ryp, Claes Arentsen Coleveldt's Bedenckingen and two editions of Cornelis Velsen's Aanmerkingen. The latter two were written in opposition of Leeghwater's plan. The Bedenckingen is here present in second edition and the Aanmerkingen in both first and second. Curiously, the first edition of the Aanmerkingen (ad 4) includes several notes in a contemporary hand with additions for the second edition (ad 5). The notes mention the differences between the first and second edition and were likely written after the second edition was published, in the same year as the first.
With annotations between the lines of ad 4 in a contemporary hand, and 5 slips of paper between the leaves of ad 4 with additions for the second edition, in the same contemporary hand. The spine is rubbed, the edges and corners of the boards are scuffed. The work is lightly browned throughout. Otherwise in good condition. Ad 1 and 2: Bierens de Haan 2696; Haitsma Mulier, p. 236; Nijhofff-van Hattem, p. 49; J.G. de Roever, Jan Adriaensz Leeghwater; STCN 185520235; ad 3: Van der Aa, NNBW 3, p. 615; Cat. bibl. Maatsch. Ned. Letterk, 2, p. 130; Bierens de Haan, 932; STCN 227713346; ad 4: Van der Aa, NNBW 19, p. 83; STCN 197791425; not in Bierens de Haan; ad 5: Bierens de Haan 4952; STCN 180231448.
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