North Sea Channel – E. de Kruyff + J.G. van Gendt, 1853
€850
NEVER EXECUTED DESIGN FOR THE NORTH SEA CANAL
“Kaart van het IJ, ter aanwijzing van een Ontwerp voor een Kanaal van Amsterdam naar de Noordzee.” [Map of the IJ, with a design for a canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea]. Drawing with pen and gray wash, made by E. de Kruyff and J.G. van Gendt in 1853. Size: 19 x 70 cm.
In the 17th century, the navigability of the Zuiderzee for sea shipping to Amsterdam declined. The shallow waters near the island Pampus before Amsterdam, which blocked access to the IJ for large ships, caused significant delays. When transferring goods to smaller ships became too time-consuming and expensive, ship camels were used instead. Additionally, Amsterdam faced issues with the silting up of its harbour.
Initially, digging a direct connection to the North Sea was deemed too ambitious. Such a plan would have required damming the IJ at the Zuiderzee and constructing a large sluice complex at the North Sea—something beyond the technical capabilities of that time.
Instead, a canal was built between Amsterdam and the naval base Nieuwediep near Den Helder. This Noordhollandsch Kanaal, opened in 1824, quickly became insufficient for the growing maritime traffic. By around 1848, alternative solutions were being explored.
In 1852, civil engineers Etienne de Kruyff (1790-1860) and Johan Godart van Gendt (1803-1875) were appointed by the Amsterdam city council to investigate whether a canal, with a harbour on the North Sea, could be dug through the dunes near Velsen.
This map was made as part of that effort. Unfortunately for the engineers, their plan didn’t make it. The inset in the upper left reads “The original but rejected plan for the North Sea Canal.”
(After reviewing many plans, a concession for the construction of a canal was finally granted 10 years later. Digging, building dikes, and constructing sluices took another 11 years before the North Sea Canal could be opened in 1876.)
Provenance: collection A.M. van den Broek (1932-1995).
Price: Euro 850,-
RESERVED
