BONHAMS GUN SALE PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HOLLANDS ROLE AS EUROPES ARMOURY DURING THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES “GUNS WHICH PLAYED A PART IN AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

The glory of Dutch guns produced in the 16th and 17th centuries will be in the spotlight at Bonhams when the Henk Visser Collection goes on sale on November 28 in London.

Scholars have long appreciated the technical expertise and artistic qualities of Dutch arms from this period which have had a global impact on gun production. The Visser Collection provides a unique and unrepeatable opportunity to see and buy the best arms from this golden era of Dutch arms production.

The significance of Dutch arms production during these two centuries cannot be underestimated in the impact they made on the world in general and the Netherlands in particular. In a new book just published `The Visser Collection (SI Publications) authors G de Vries and B.J. Martens, state that: “The Dutch played a decisive role in the development of the gunmaking industry in England, helped the American colonies gain their independence, and supplied most European countries with muskets, cannon and gunpowder. Dutch arms makers generated more revenues in the 17th century than the entire East India Company……..out of 856 gunmakers known to have worked in the Low Countries in the 17th century, 79 were left in the 19th and only one survived into the 20th century……”

The growing number of publications covering the central role of Dutch arms in the West were almost exclusively initiated by one man, Henk L. Visser. His death on June 11 2006 was a great loss to such scholarship.

David Williams, Director of Arms and Armour at Bonhams comments: “This sale represents a wonderful opportunity for collectors and institutions alike to acquire arms from this magnificent and hugely important collection. Preceding it on July 4 will be a collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings collected by Henk Visser. A second sale featuring his collected paintings takes place on December 5.“

Henk Visser was a collector without equal in his field. His collection of antique Dutch weapons – small arms, swords, armour and accoutrements - was the largest and most important in the world. For example, out of 100 ivory-stocked pistols known world-wide, he at one point owned 47. This was just one element within his collection.

In the mid 1950’s he was appointed manager of the Dutch Arms and Ammunition Factory `De Kruithoorn (The Powder Horn) in `s-Hertogenbosch. This gave him the opportunity to travel extensively and to acquire arms and ammunition from all over the world.

He collected rare military firearms from the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well. A large part of his group of early centre-fire breech-loaders and automatic weapons was acquired by the German Ministry of Defence for their collection at Meppen proving ground, later transferred to Koblenz to form the nucleus of the Ministry’s collection.

He finally decided to collect only Dutch arms, including ancient ordnance, armour and fine art from the early 16th to the 20th century.

IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS

He was unusual in being prepared to share his enthusiasm and knowledge with others. Requests for help with articles, research or exhibitions were never in vain. He also put people together who might not have known of a shared interest. The result of one such exercise was the collaboration of Thomas B. Nelson from the USA and Hans Bert Lockhoven from Germany on The World’s Submachine Guns, published in 1963 which remains the standard reference work on the subject.

Henk was much involved in supporting the production of other books: `Dutch Muskets and Pistols’ produced by experts from the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands Maritime Museum and Dutch Army and Arms Museum; Dutch Firearms by Dr Arne Hoff, former director of the Tojhusmuseet in Copenhagen; and Dutch Guns in Russia and Aspects of Dutch Gunmaking.

TOWER OF LONDON EXHIBITION

In 1988 the Visser Collection of ivory-stocked pistols was the first private collection to be displayed at the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London since 1952, an important token of international recognition.

Many masterpieces from Henk’s collection featured in the 1994 exhibition `The Arsenal of the World’ held in the Dutch Army and Arms Museum in Delft.

FINANCIAL AID FOR GUN RESTORATION

Henk Visser contributed to the world of arms and armaments in many ways including financial help with the restoration of arms. He financed the restoration of Dutch guns in the Russian collection Moscow Kremlin and the Hermitage in St Petersburg. The work carried out the work on 120 weapons over two years led to the publication of a catalogue in English, Dutch Guns in Russia. The same generous spirit was evident in Henk’s assistance to the museum in Emden, Germany where 42 weapons were restored at his cost.

Posted: 06|21|07 at 10:00 am. Filed under: Press Release.