Two fine antique copperplate-engraved views of Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia), capital of the Dutch East Indies. One early view "La Ville de Batavie" with city structures in the background, shows the shallow channel to the inner harbor marked by pilings, with shallow-draft vessels plying the waters. Further off-shore deeper-draft, square-rigged sailing ships are drawn at anchor and tied to tall above-water structures we today would describe as pilings with cribbing. Excellent quality engravings.
The second view "Chateau de Batavia" presents a square-shaped fortress equipped with four protruding bastions made of solid earthen walls and coral with a strong wooden palisade. Batavia Castle was the administrative center of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Asia. Batavia Castle housed the administration buildings of the VOC, including the Governor-General's residence, residences for high officials, workshops, a treasury, a prison, storehouses and the meeting hall of the council of the Indies.
Batavia corresponds to the present city of Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia was founded as the trade and administrative center of the Dutch East India Company and within Batavia's walls, the wealthy Dutch built tall houses and canals.
Published from Leiden by Pieter van der Aa.
Pieter van der Aa (1659 - 1733) was a Dutch publisher working in Leiden during the early eighteenth century. He is best known for publishing maps and atlases, though he also printed pirated editions of foreign bestsellers and illustrated volumes. From "La Galerie Agreable du Monde. Tome premier des Indes Orientales" published in 1725 from Leiden by Van der Aa. This plate was originally published in 'Gezandtschap der Nederlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie ...' by J. Nieuhof.Stuyvesant Square — A serene twin-section park divided by Second Avenue, known for its 19th-century cast-iron fence, mature trees, and proximity to historic St. George’s Church.
Tompkins Square Park — The cultural heart of the East Village, long a center of activism and community life, with open lawns, dog runs, and a lively mix of events and street performers.
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