2371 - 2500 MANUSCRIPTS, AUTOGRAPHS, DOCUMENTS
81 2471 Oud J J P Gropius Walter 1883 1969 
= Answering a request by Oud to write a memorial article about Theo van Doesburg and i.a. complaining about the lack of work. "(...) für die aufgabe, die sie mir zudenken, einen artikel über doesburg zu schreiben, fühle ich mich nicht geeignet. (...) ich müsste erst eingehend wieder mit doesberg's [sic] werk befassen, um etwas zu schreiben, was hand und fuss hat. hierfür fehlt mir aber in den kommenden wochen die zeit, da am 9.mai die bauausstellung eröffnet wird und ich umfangreiche arbeiten hierfür auf mein risiko übernommen habe. (...) hier sieht es trostlos mit den bauaufgaben aus. ich habe nun seit 1½ jahren nichts zu tun und anderen geht es nicht besser (...)". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LX.
81 2472 Oud J J P Johnson Philip 1906 2005 
= Very intimate and interesting letters, i.a. extensively on colleague architects, on the Bauhaus, on the archtecture in Frankfurt, Switzerland and Czechoslovakia, on the conflictual views on architecture, on the (pictures of) projects that Oud sent to Johnson for a publication/ exhibition, on a possible teaching position in America, on American architects and architecture, on buying a car abroad, on books Oud wishes to be sent to him etc.
"(...) Incidentally it is most interesting to see how the different architects with whom you are acquainted react to the mention of your name. Your dear friend Mendelsohn for instance, admitted to knowing you but was most unenthusiastic. (...). [Mies van der Rohe] speaks of you with such enthusiasm as one of his most honored acquaintances. And Mies is vey seldom enthusiastic about other architects. In fact you and Corbusier are the only ones that receive praise from him. (...) Especially Mies hates this Zweckmassigkeit carried to extreme as it was in the Bauhaus before he came. He says Zweckmässigkeit is more subjective than rein Ästhetik. He has closed the Bauhaus for a month because the students were so politically minded after the regime of Hannes Meyer that they thought they could continue to run the school along their programmatic lines. Mies says he has no interest whatsoever in politics or programs but only in beautiful buildings, so he closed the school. (...) The Czechs lack discipline and direction. They have taken over modern architecture as a national thing, and have really no idea of architecture at all not to mention modern (,,,)" [17/09/(1930)]. "(...) It is very interesting that you and Miës van der Rohe should be the European architects to have received the most acclaim in our Exhibion. (...) I invariably recommend you to any interested people as I am sure that Mies would not fit in with our American way of doing things. Le Corbusier is rather disliked as he is considered too outré, and people instinctively dislike houses on stilts. (...) The Americans, as you can see by the catalogue, show up very badly. Frank Lloyd Wright was included only from courtesy and in recognition of his past contributions; Raymond Hood because some day he may be attracted into the fold by his opportunism; the Bowman Brothers because they are primarily steel engineers and might some day ardize a half-way decent steel hous; Neutra and Howe & Lescaze because they are the only successful modern architects in America (...)" [16/04/1932]. "(...) Mies has been in town for a week and we have had long discussions about Berlage and you and modern architecture. He has put up two more buildings since the one you saw illustrated in Built in USA which are still more "negative" than that one, if negative is the right word. Most architects and critics think that his slogan of "beinahe nichts" has now gone so far that there is really nichts. I don't know. I very much enjoy the rationale of it all, the lack of indeterminate dimensions and shapes, the clean, brushed-hair effecf of the cornice, the symmetry of the facade. (...) The detailing of the steel with the brick is clean and pleasing. History will tell us and tell us no doubt very soon (...)" [27/04/1946].
81 2473 Oud J J P Kiesler Frederick J 1890 1965 
- Ruststain in upper left corner from paperclip.
= Intimate letter in which Kiesler i.a. extensively writes about his experiences in the US, to which he moved in 1926. "(...) You must understand that there has not been a chance of doing anything in contemporary architecture , because everything here is twenty five years behind our advanced groups in Europe. (...) Philip Johnson (...) told me (...) that he wanted to bring you over to this country, but you refused his offer. Very wise of you. If at all, one should come at the age of ten. It is not another continent, it is another planet. (...) The death of Van Doesburg, three years ago, was a very blow to me. Het was my only real friend in Europe, and the only one who understood my strivings. Unfortunately, he was very unhappy. In my opinion, it was because he couldn't find his way between painting, architecture and literature (...). After his death I hope that you, Esteeren [sic] and Arp and I would keep in touch with each other, and, including Mondrian naturally, would actually continue the friendship that, in my opinion, could be for all of us of great importance (...)." With an AUTOGRAPH POSTSCRIPT (pen and ink): "Do send me some pictures of your work, especially of furniture. I might be able to sell it for you to some manufacturer."
81 2474 Oud J J P Mendelsohn Erich 1887 1953 
= Interesting and moving letter on the hostiliy Mendelsohn met after his publication of Neues Haus - neue Welt (Berlin, Rudolf Mosse, 1932), a monograph on his newly built private villa. "(...) Die Publikation traf in den Höhepunkt der Wirtschaftskrise, d.h. sie erschien in dem Moment, als Deutschland wirklich merkte, das es den Krieg verloren hat und ein armes Volk geworden ist. Nichts leichter also, als aus der Not, dem Nichtbeschäftigtsein und der Verärgerung Hässliches, Taktloses und Unwahres über den Eigentümer zu schreiben. Angerührt durch ein Pamphlet Hegemanns melden mindere Geist ihre moralisierenden und antisemitischen Tiraden an. Alle diese Schimpfereien sprechen nicht über den architektonischen Wert des Hauses (...). Aber sehen Sie das Buch selbst an, vor allem aber sehen sie das Haus an. Ich bin gerade bei Ihnen überzeugt, dass Sie vom Haus, vom Eigentümer und vom Architekten keine schlechte Meinung bekommen werde (...)". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXI.
81 2475 Oud J J P Mies van der Rohe Ludwig 1886 1969 
= On the decision of Oud to quit his job working for the municipality of Rotterdam and the importance to work freely, as well as on his own policy to keep the Bauhaus independent. "(..) Ich sende dir ein paar Photos und überlasse es dir das geeignete Blatt aus zu schicken. Es hat mich sehr gefreud von dir zu hören das du bald wieder frei bist und unabhängig arbeiten kannst. (...) Wir schränke uns lieber ein und bleiben frei (...)."
WITH: Reich, Lilly (1885-1947). AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED "Lilly Reich", to "Lieber Herr Oud!", dated "12 Februar 36", pen and ink, 1 leaf, recto and verso, with printed letterhead "Lilly Reich/ Berlin (...)".
= Asking Oud for help to persuade Dutch magazines to pay attention to the 50th birthday of Mies van der Rohe and writing on the latest projects that have been cancelled. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LX.
81 2476 Oud J J P Moholy Nagy Lázló 1895 1946 
- Yellowed. Verso w. remnants of sellotape and rubbed spots from former tipping in; poststamp removed.
= Writing that he is enjoying his holiday: "(...) in den Knochen sitzt noch Holland, aber die Rhön fordert auch ihre Rechte (...). Den ganzen Tag nichts tun, herrlliche Erkenntnis (...)". With short added line in pencil by Mohly-Nagy's wife: "Und grüß, Lucia MN". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXI.
81 2477 Oud J J P Moholy Nagy Lázló 1895 1946 
= Interesting letter, i.a. on a trip he made to Italy, on his cinematic activities and on the coming exhibition of his paintings in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, for which he asks Oud to hold the opening speech. "(...) in november halte ich einen filmvortrag in den haag, vielleicht auch in leiden, wo ich auch den kleinen film von dem arch. kongress in griechenland warscheinlich zeigen werde (...). interessiert das euch? und meine kleinen sonstigen experimente? (...) meine pariser ausstellung was jetzt in utrecht und ich zeige dieselbe hier in amsterdam vom 24/XI ab in dem stedelijk museum. für die eröffnung fragte man mich, ob ich ein 'grosses tier' hätte.'grösstes tier'- das bis du, lieber j.j.p. - und ich wäre selig, wenn du die eröffnungsrede, enige worte, halten würdest (...)". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXI.
81 2478 Oud J J P Moholy Nagy Lázló 1895 1946 
= On the difficult circumstances during the War and his activities. "(...) During these years we just hoped against hope that our best friends would survive this cataclysm. In comparison with Europe, here in the States we had a completely undisturbed life in spite of a terrific concentration on war work and on the efforts to keep the framework of cultural institutions in tact. (...) At present I am working on a new book, Visions in Motion, and I would gladly bring the Shell building in it if you can send me a few photographs of it or any other work which you have done in the last ten years (...)". Also on activities of Sigfried Giedion, Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe in the US.
81 2479 Oud J J P Reich Lilly 1885 1947 
- Sl. waterstained.
= On the patent of a chair design, on a project she is working on with Mies van der Rohe and on the hard times. "Es tut mir leid, dass Sie jetzt wieder in diese Patentstreitfragen hineingezogen werden. Die von Ihnen genannten Anwälte Vriesendorp und Gaade sind uns zwar nicht bekannt, aber wir glauben doch, dass diese Rückfrage an Sie sich auf den Streit Thonet-van Heyst-Gispens über das Patent von Mies bezieht. Der erste freischwebende Stuhl is erst etwa 1922 in Amerika patentiert worden, dieser Stuhl was aber nicht aus Rohr sondern aus Stangen. (...) Ich hatte einige kleinere Arbeiten, aber jetzt wider gar nichts mehr. EIne solche Situation is nicht schön, aber wir wissen so garnicht wie wir sie ändern können. Es ist traurig, dass es auch bei Ihnen nicht viel anders ist. In welch ein schwierige Zeit sind wir hineingeboren (....)".
81 2480 Oud J J P Schawinsky Alexander “Xanti” 1904 1979 
- Formerly folded.
= Very rare polemic essay in which Schawinsky counters the image of Bauhaus that Hannes Meyer pictures in the diary he published: "(...) hannes meyers dialektisch so gewandtes schreiben entstellt die linie der gesamten bauhausentwicklung. es ist das dokument einer geschichtsfälschung, welche er während seiner zweijährigen bauhaus-tätigkeit kunstvoll aufgebaut hat (...)".
WITH the accompanying cyclostyled letter, addressed "herrn j.p./ oud kijkduin" and signed "alexander schawinsky" in pen and ink, 1 fold. leaf w. printed letterhead, recto only (1p.).
- Ruststain in upper left corner from paperclip.
= "(...) als einer der bauhäusler, welche unter der leitung von gropius und dann unter derjenigen von hannes meyer gearbeit haben, sehe ich darin eine aufgabe, dieser entstellenden propaganda einige tatsachen entgegenzuhalten (...)". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXII.
81/2481 Oud J J P Lot of 9 AUTOGRAPH/ TYPESCRIPT LETTERS 
= Interesting collection of letters, mainly by architects, i.a. on the difficulties due to the war. Comprises: ALFRED H. BARR Jr. (1902-1981), typescr. letters signed, dated "June 15, 1936", 1 leaf, recto only, w. letterhead "The Museum of Modern Art (...); SIGFRIED GIEDION (1888-1968), 2 autogr. letters, both monogrammed "S.G.", dated "Zurich, 9 okt. 37" and undated [1937?], together 6 lvs., recto only (1x recto and verso); WERNER HEGEMANN (1881-1936), autogr. letter signed, dated "Genf (...) 12.V.33", 1 leaf, recto only, w. added cyclostyled leaf "Die Feuersprüche bei der mitternächtlichen Verbrennung undeutschen Schrifttums an den Hochschulorten" [i.a. on the burning of publications by Emil Ludwig and Hegemann; waterstained]; JOSEPH HUDNUT (1886-1968), typescr. letter signed, dated "June 9, 1936", 1 leaf, recto only, w. printed letterhead "Harvard University (...) Graduate School of Design (...) Department of Architecture", w. added typescr. "Confidential/ Memorandum" on the proposed appointment as professor of design at Harvard, 2 lvs., recto (first leaf w. autogr. annot. by Oud); EMANUEL JOSEF MARGOLD (1888-1962), typescr. letter signed, dated "den 5.Juni 1936", 2 lvs., recto only, w. printed letterhead "Architekt Emanuel Josef Margold"; GUSTAV ADOLF PLATZ (1891-1947), two typescr. letters signed, dated "12.11.39" and "6.August 1940", each 1 leaf, recto and verso and recto only, first w. printed letterhead "Gustav Adolf Platz/ Stadbaudirektor A.D./ Architekt"; ERICA TAUT (widow of Bruno Taut (1880-1938)), autogr. letter signed, dated "Amsterdam, 10.V.39", 1 leaf recto and verso.
ADDED: 2 typescript letters to Gunther Stamm, i.a. by Richard Neutra (stained/ dam.), and an offprint from Bouwkundig Weekblad Architectura (1945) w. a contribution by J.J.P. Oud (badly waterstained and lvs. sticking together).
81/2482 Poesie albums Lot of 7 poesie albums 
81/2483 Printers and printing offices etc Letter zetters luywagen Ofte Beknopte onderwysinge Hoe men alderhande Formaten zal leeren overslaan Waar by gevoegt is een afteikening Van Ingeleijde Le
81/2483 Printers and printing offices etc Letter zetters luywagen Ofte Beknopte onderwysinge Hoe men alderhande Formaten zal leeren overslaan Waar by gevoegt is een afteikening Van Ingeleijde Le
81/2483 Printers and printing offices etc Letter zetters luywagen Ofte Beknopte onderwysinge Hoe men alderhande Formaten zal leeren overslaan Waar by gevoegt is een afteikening Van Ingeleijde Le
- Sm. stain throughout in outer lower margin; a few scattered lightbrown stains; sm. tear (max. 1 cm.) in lower margin. Vellum lacks ties and sl. duststained.
= Written on paper with the watermark listed under Churchill 13 (dating 1675). Very early (if not the earliest known) Dutch imposition manual. As explained in the review of Frans Janssen's The Earliest Dutch Imposition Manual. A Facsimile of the Manuscript Overslag-boek by Joannes Josephus Balthazar Vanderstraelen, in Quaerendo 44, p.211-212: "An imposition manual is a technical handbook for printers. This illustrated manual has schemes which indicate the position of the composed pages on the sheet. The schemes specify how to set pages in different formats in order to get a proper sequence of the pages after printing and folding the sheets into quires. The manual is a guide for the compositor in placing the pages in the form." The until now oldest known Dutch imposition manual is Vanderstraelen's manuscript, which dates from 1794-1795 and was sold by Christie's in 2006 for 9600$. Frans Janssen mentions one other earlier manuscript Dutch printer's manual in his edition of the Vanderstraelen facsimile. It is a presumed lost manual by the Middelburg typographer Sigismund Matthaeus, which has a somewhat different title (apart from the first two words "Letterzetters Luywagen") and a preface dated 1761. This work is referred to by J.W. Enschedé in his article Een Nederlandsche handleiding voor boekdrukwerk uit 1761 (in Het Boek 1, 1912). On the basis of the paper and the handwriting in our manuscript, the present "Letter-zetters Luywagen" might be an earlier (unrecorded) manuscript on the subject than both the work by Vanderstraelen and that of Matthaeus. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXII.
81/2484 Printers and printing offices etc Ordonnantie en Previlegie van Het Boekdrukkers Boekbinders En Boekverkers sic Gilde binne de Stad Middelburg in Zee Land 
= Possibly a transcript of the various ordinances published between 1590 and 1679, concerning printers, bookbinders and booksellers in the town of Middelburg.
81 2485 Science Collection of 20 signatures by 8 Dutch Nobel laureates 
= With signatures by Gerard 't Hooft (8x), J. Tinbergen (3x), M. Veltman (2x), A. Geim, N. Bloembergen (2x), B. Feringa (2x), Simon van der Meer and P. Creutzen.
ADDED: 1 other.
81 2486 Science Eijkman Christiaan 1858 1930 
= Christiaan Eijckman, Dutch physician and pathologist whose demonstration that beriberi is caused by poor diet led to the discovery of vitamins. Received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1929.
Sitter, Willem de (1872-1934). AUTOGRAPH POSTCARD SIGNED "W. de Sitter", to "C. Easton", dated "Leiden 12/7/22", pen and ink, recto and verso, w. autogr. address on verso, stamped.
= Willem de Sitter, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and cosmologist whose papers, published in London during World War I, aroused British scientific interest in Einstein's general theory of relativity. His concept of the universe differed in some respects from that of Einstein. The Einstein-de Sitter model of the universe, formulated in 1932, treats the universe as existing in Euclidean space rather than in curved shape. To the writer, journalist, (amateur) meteorologist and astronomer Cornelis EASTON: "Ik heb uw brief ontvangen, Ik zal uw veranderingen en toevoegingen kritisch nagaan en ze waarschijnlijk nog wel wat aanwerken (...)".
AND 25 other autograph correspondence cards/ sentiments or signatures, all by Dutch scientists in varying fields, all but a few addressed to "R./ René Vlug", occas. w. orig. (autogr.) addressed envelope, i.a. by Hendrik Casimir (physicist), Jan Oort (astronomer), Prof. Harry van der Laan (astronomer), Prof. dr. Cees de Jager (astronomer) and Maarten Schmidt (Dutch-American astronomer).
81 2487 Science Lorentz Hendrik 1853 1928 
- Sl. browned/ w. some offsetting from envelope.
= Lorentz thanks the director of the Provinciale Waterstaat van Noord Holland for his attendance at the celebration of Lorentz' 70th birthday and his contribution to his gift.
Idem. SIGNATURE "H.A. Lorentz", pen and ink on a photogr. portrait. - AND WITH a letterpress card thanking the recipient for his attendence at the celebration of his 50th doctorate year and an addressed invitation to the funeral of H.A. Lorentz.
81 2488 Science Zeeman Pieter 1865 1943 
= To the writer, journalist, (amateur) meteorologist and astronomer Cornelis EASTON: "Uw persoonlijke herinneringen aan C. Kapteyn [Dutch astronomer] hebben mij levendig belang ingeboezemd. Ik dank u zeer voor uw vriendelijkheid die mij toe te zenden".
AND a small note w. the signature of Peter DEBYE (1884-1966), Dutch-American physicist and Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1936).
81 2489 Sciences Ziedses des Plantes Bernard George 1902 1993 
81 2489 Sciences Ziedses des Plantes Bernard George 1902 1993 
= Bernard George Ziedses des Plantes was trained as specialist in nervous diseases, but his lifelong passion was to improve X-ray imaging of living tissues. In the 1930s he not only built the first machine for planigraphy, in which the X-ray tube and the film moved together around the plane of interest, but he also designed the subtraction method to improve images after injection of contrast agents. Eventually a full-time radiologist, he also developed the 'somersault' technique of ventriculography and pioneered isotope scintigraphy. (source: www.researchgate.net).
In this letter, that accompanied the signature card below, Ziedses des Plantes writes about the way he got the idea for developing the machine for planigraphy and explaining the way it works (lacks the addenda with figures to which he refers).
Klinkenberg, Dirk (1709-1799). AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED "D. Klinkenberg" to "WelEerwaarde & Geleerden Heere", dated "s Hage den 23 Juilij 1758", pen and ink, 1 fold. leaf, 1p.
= Letter to the "Heeren Directeuren van de Hollandsche Maatschappije der Weetenschappen" in which Klinkenberg accepts the invitation for the membership of the society. Klinkenberg was a mathematician and renowned astronomer (he discovered several comets and was the first to prove that Uranus was a planet instead of a comet).
AND 3 others, i.a. a manuscript leaf signed by Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel.
81 2490 Smeer Jr F 1st half 19th cent 
81 2490 Smeer Jr F 1st half 19th cent 
= Contains six treatises on religion and Dutch history (i.a. "Verhandeling over Joan van Oldebarneveld", "Lofrede op Michiel Adriaanszoon de Ruijter" and "Mozes en Mohammed, geschied- en karakterkundig met elkaar vergeleken"), followed by a number of poems (i.a. "Gedachten op een kerkhof"), all written in a very neat hand. Nothing could be traced on the author.