In the seventeenth century ‘books of secrets’ became increasingly popular. This thesis discusses the origin of the 'books of secrets', their presence in Europe and in the Northern Netherlands...Show moreIn the seventeenth century ‘books of secrets’ became increasingly popular. This thesis discusses the origin of the 'books of secrets', their presence in Europe and in the Northern Netherlands specifically. These books, most popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, contain many recipes. Some are leaning more towards early-modern science, while others are clearly connected to magic. The books of secrets that were present in the Netherlands are both translations of works written elsewhere, as works created by Dutch authors.Show less
Delft, as an important town in the Dutch Republic, played an interesting role in the world of the book in the seventeenth century. This thesis focusses on the local influences on the printing...Show moreDelft, as an important town in the Dutch Republic, played an interesting role in the world of the book in the seventeenth century. This thesis focusses on the local influences on the printing industry in seventeenth-century Delft as demonstrated by the printer Jan Pietersz. Waelpot. By looking at the history of printing in Delft, the personal life and business of Jan Pietersz. Waelpot and his publications, the way local institutions, authors and interests influenced his business becomes clear.Show less
This research was focussed on the appearance of reading aids (e.g. table of contents, index, pilcrows, pagination, spacing etc.) in early printed books written in Middle Dutch and Latin. Several...Show moreThis research was focussed on the appearance of reading aids (e.g. table of contents, index, pilcrows, pagination, spacing etc.) in early printed books written in Middle Dutch and Latin. Several aids were examined with emphasis on how and why the appeared (or lacked) in early printed books.Show less
This edition elaborately discusses the letters between London based nurseryman William Malcolm (d.1798) and David van Royen (1727-1799), professor of Botany and the director of the Hortus Botanicus...Show moreThis edition elaborately discusses the letters between London based nurseryman William Malcolm (d.1798) and David van Royen (1727-1799), professor of Botany and the director of the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden, written between 1768-1773. The research focuses on how this correspondence gives insight in the study of botany in Leiden and the development of its botanical garden, the international plant trade and the extensive network of people involved, and the close relationship between science and commerce in the second half of the eighteenth century.Show less
This thesis has analysed the publisher Jacobus van Egmont and the place he occupied on the competitive popular book market of early eighteenth century Amsterdam. The thesis focuses on how the...Show moreThis thesis has analysed the publisher Jacobus van Egmont and the place he occupied on the competitive popular book market of early eighteenth century Amsterdam. The thesis focuses on how the societal and cultural changes of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century are represented in Van Egmont's list of publications and how these changes influenced Van Egmont's strategy and career.Show less
This thesis has examined the presence of English books in the libraries of three well-read Dutchmen in the seventeenth century: Balthasar Lydius, Johannes de Laet and Justus Turcq. Consequently,...Show moreThis thesis has examined the presence of English books in the libraries of three well-read Dutchmen in the seventeenth century: Balthasar Lydius, Johannes de Laet and Justus Turcq. Consequently, it has examined the influence of Anglo-Dutch relations on the contents of the libraries of Dutchmen in the Golden Age.Show less
This edition contains 26 letters from the Doesburg Letter Collection (1777 -1822) focusing on its female correspondents. The letters give an exceptional insight into the personal lives of men and...Show moreThis edition contains 26 letters from the Doesburg Letter Collection (1777 -1822) focusing on its female correspondents. The letters give an exceptional insight into the personal lives of men and women from all layers of the population in a time in Dutch history that was marked by almost constant war and the subsequent political, social and economic changes that came with these conflicts. Many of the letters are signed by women, which make the letter collection a rare source, since not many writings have been preserved from women living in this period, especially not from the lower class. For this reason, this edition focuses entirely on the female correspondence of the collection. The letters for this edition were chosen based on their geographic variation in order to give a broad picture not only of the lives of women from Doesburg, but from all over the Netherlands in the regarding period. To place the letters into context, this edition includes: an overview of the history of the Netherlands and Doesburg in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, of reading and writing in the Low Countries, of the position of women in the Netherlands, and provides a sketch of the Dutch postal system between 1777-1822.Show less
This study deals with the effects of the war on printing, publishing and bookselling in the Netherlands. In a time in which society was changing fast, the book trade witnessed new legislation and...Show moreThis study deals with the effects of the war on printing, publishing and bookselling in the Netherlands. In a time in which society was changing fast, the book trade witnessed new legislation and increasing regulation, as well as more collaboration between the government, employers and employees to create better conditions, while actions were undertaken to limit the negative effects of the war.Show less
This thesis presents a textual edition of the diary letters written by the young Dutch woman Catharina Philippina Ouwens (1925-2005). She started writing the letters in February 1945, having lost...Show moreThis thesis presents a textual edition of the diary letters written by the young Dutch woman Catharina Philippina Ouwens (1925-2005). She started writing the letters in February 1945, having lost contact with her boyfriend Hendrikus Johannes Schutten (1924-2014), who had been sent to Babelsberg (Potsdam, Germany) to work for the Germans in the summer of 1943. Catharina, who lived in Amsterdam at the time, never posted the letters, but hoped to share them with Hendrikus once he had returned. She wrote the largest part of her diary during the final stages of the German occupation of the Netherlands, describing the last months of occupation, the liberation, and the weeks after the liberation (including an eyewitness's account of the Dam Square shooting on 7 May, 1945). This textual edition contains an introduction that describes the historical context of the letters and provides insight into Catharina and Hendrikus' personal lives, a transcription of the majority of the diary letters, with footnotes to elaborate on the context of the events or people described, and an appendix containing letters from Hendrikus to Catharina as well as a poem written by Catharina.Show less
This thesis examines all Dutch editions of Louis Couperus’ De stille kracht to discern trends or developments in the paratextual elements of these editions. Paratext is a concept coined by French...Show moreThis thesis examines all Dutch editions of Louis Couperus’ De stille kracht to discern trends or developments in the paratextual elements of these editions. Paratext is a concept coined by French literary theorist Gérard Genette. Instead of focussing only on the Genettian textual paratexts this thesis also examines the influence of (cover) illustrations as paratextual elements. De stille kracht was published in 1900, and as this thesis was written in 2015, it thus examines 115 years of De stille kracht publication history. Every chapter covers a few decades, thus presenting the reader with a historical narrative of the novel’s developments through time. The thesis therefore is a ‘biography’ of a book. The most important developments are the canonisation of De stille kracht, especially through the implementation of fore- and afterwords in later editions. The later editions also became part of ‘classic book series’, indicating canonisation of this literary work. A constant trend is the focus of the paratextual elements on the atmosphere and themes of the novel, instead of on the plot. In the end this thesis argues for the importance of Genette’s paratext for book historic and literary research and has shown how widely different one particular text can be presented to a reader.Show less
The bookshop has a special position in the retail business. Besides its function as a shop it also fulfills a cultural purpose. This cultural position of the bookshop in society has changed through...Show moreThe bookshop has a special position in the retail business. Besides its function as a shop it also fulfills a cultural purpose. This cultural position of the bookshop in society has changed through the years, which consequentially influenced the interior. Where in the past the bookshop used to be a place for the wealthy and functioned as a meeting place for, mostly male, intellectuals, the bookshop of today is open to everyone. There is no longer a standard interior visible in the present-day bookshop, the traditional, small and dimly lit bookstore is accompanied by larger stores with a sometimes experimental interior, in which for example bright colours and a-typical designed bookcases are used. Furthermore, the competition of Internet sales forces the owners of bookshops to offer the customer something extra, much emphasis is placed on the shopping experience.Show less
The nineteenth century witnessed a change in reading behaviour and in readership. With the changes in readership, the newspaper coverage on books and book related businesses in the Netherlands must...Show moreThe nineteenth century witnessed a change in reading behaviour and in readership. With the changes in readership, the newspaper coverage on books and book related businesses in the Netherlands must also have changed. But how was this change reflected in newspapers? This thesis aims to give an answer to that question. It will review newspapers from three years: 1815, 1850 and 1890 in order to present a broad perspective on the changes during the century. The focus will be on newspapers from larger cities and regions, and on national newspapers. This means that the newspapers that are featured in this study will, for the most part, be from the western parts of The Netherlands.Show less
This thesis concerns a new edition of the manuscript Recollections of a Few Days Spent in Holland in August 1826. This manuscript is preserved in the Special Collections of Leiden University...Show moreThis thesis concerns a new edition of the manuscript Recollections of a Few Days Spent in Holland in August 1826. This manuscript is preserved in the Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries (BPL 3204). It was written by the Englishman William Geary who, together with his sister Sophia, visited Holland for a week in 1826. Brother and sister embarked at Great Yarmouth and after a rather uncomfortable crossing their Dutch tour started in Rotterdam. In a short period of time they also visited The Hague, Amsterdam and a few small villages such as Scheveningen, Broek in Waterland and Katwijk. Geary really made an effort to make his journal entertaining for the reader, and he criticized the dullness and wordiness of many travelogues. Some sights such as the Huis ten Bosch palace and a workhouse in Amsterdam are described in detail, but he never loses himself in endless lists of facts. Here and there Geary even adds an amusing anecdote and he describes the Dutch customs and habits that strike him. In this edition the text of the original manuscript has been edited to enhance readability. A theoretical framework concerning editing has been included to account for the editorial choices that the editor has made. Additionally, a historical context and explanatory annotations are added to provide the reader with more tools to interpret the manuscript’s content.Show less
