Netherlands Institute for Military History
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 21:14
The Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH) has received a special photo album including army exercises from Utrecht. The photos from the years 1865 and 1866 are now being digitized and made available to the public.
“We regularly get a lot of material from the time of the decolonization war, the mobilization time, or even later, the period in Lebanon. But we have never seen albums from 1865 before,” says Erwin Rossmeisl, head of acquisition at the NIMH.
The recent donation is special for several reasons, says the acquirer. “Photography was still in its infancy. The first photos appeared in 1850. In the Netherlands that was sporadic between 1855 and 1860, but that’s portrait photography. We’ve never seen photos of exercises before.”
Some photos from the album:
Netherlands Institute for Military History
The introduction to the photo album of engineer A. Jentink
Netherlands Institute for Military History
The photo with the marketer on it
Netherlands Institute for Military History
Firing a cannon
Netherlands Institute for Military History
Pontonniers make a bridge
Netherlands Institute for Military History
Rossmeisl believes that the images provide a very penetrating insight. “If you look at the photos, it comes very close. It brings military history to life. Many practical exercises are done, such as firing a cannon and constructing positions.”
Another example is a group photo showing a so-called marketer. “That was a typical 19th century phenomenon. A lady who goes with the troops and provides them with food and drink. The support and rock of the unit,” says Rossmeisl. “They are characterized by the typical keg of brandy.”
In addition, the composition of many of the photos is also unique, says Rossmeisl. “These are very casual photos. At that time, mainly studio photos were taken, with a soldier who looks stiffly into the camera. That is not the case here.”
Whose are the photos?
The photos are by Lieutenant Engineer A. Jentink, born in 1841. The engineer was an officer who was involved in everything that had to do with technology, such as building forts. Lentink is eventually assigned to a special sappers and miners unit, as an engineer.
His descendants donated the photos to the institute. The photos of army exercises from the province of Utrecht were taken at Fort de Bilt, also known as Fort op de Biltstraat, in the municipality of Utrecht. That fort was part of the New Dutch Waterline, the complex of defenses that is included on the World Heritage List.
There are also photos from the Legerplaats near Zeist. The photos were taken from June to September 1865.
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