Stoomvaart Maatschapij Nederland - Opgaven omtrent...

An exceptional and historically important set of 7 original, antique "gray booklets" from N.V. Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN), dating from the interwar period (c. 1914–1938). This concerns the official, internal registers with "Assignments regarding the steamships". These manuals were strictly secret, exclusively intended "for the service of the staff" of the shipping company, and contained the complete technical and logistical fleet administration. Unique provenance & Content: * Personal copy of the Inspector: The front cover bears the original, handwritten signature of H. C. Schimmel, the well-known Mechanical Engineer and Inspector of the Technical Service of SMN. On the inside, the booklet is marked with his rank at the time: "Ass. Inspector". * Documentation of the Indian Pilgrims’ Voyage (Mecca): The registers contain unique, page-sized handwritten logistical calculations by Schimmel concerning the arrangement of the fleet for the historic pilgrimages (Hadj) from the Dutch East Indies. Visible are, among other things, his direct calculations for the available square meters on the Upper Deck (B.T.D.) and Lower Deck (O.T.D.) "when O.T.D. is also used for pilgrims". * Rare Technical Blueprints: The booklets contain detailed, original technical line drawings and deck plans of legendary ships such as the S.S. Sumatra, S.S. Lombok, and S.S. Celebes, including the exact layout of the sponson deck and the command bridge. * Crucial Engine Room Notes: The registers are filled with Schimmel’s authentic notebook entries in ink. For example, he noted for the Moena (K-class) a crucial factory modification to propulsion ("Scottish boilers instead of Howden boilers...") and he accurately corrected the contents of the cargo holds with the addition of a freezing and cooling chamber near the engine room ("Eng. Hub. st."). This lot transcends ordinary maritime memorabilia; it is a unique, interactive historical source document that reveals the operational, technical and colonial history of SMN. An absolute top opportunity for the serious collector or for a maritime museum. Contents of this lot (7 booklets): * Register of steamships of the B-class (Celebes, Lombok, Sumatra, Billiton, Nias) * Register of steamships of the K-class (Madoera, Manoeran, Mapia, Moena) * Registers of the mail- and passenger ships (including Rembrandt, Vondel, Grotius, Princess Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands, Johan de Witt, Jan Pieterszoon Coen) Details & Features: * Publisher: Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (S.M.N.) * Period: Circa 1914 - 1938 (100% original documentary print works) * Condition: In a beautiful, authentic antique condition with a splendid patina. The pages and bindings are sturdy and in very neat condition.

Estimate:$224.11

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