The boards of the KIVI Department of the History of Technology and association Histechnica have the pleasure of inviting you to attend a lecture to be given by Mr H. van Onna, entitled:

"Cornelis Drebbel (Alkmaar 1572 - London 1633): Kloeck Verstant, a pronck der Wereldt"

on Saturday 13 April 2019

Lecture summary

Today I tell you about Cornelis Drebbel, natural philosopher and inventor, "the Edison of his time". Brilliant empirical researcher and innovator. Drebbel's constructions and innovations mainly relate to measurement and control technology, pneumatics, optics, chemistry, hydraulics and pyrotechnics. Born in Alkmaar in 1572, Drebbel, an early school leaver, left for England with his wife and daughters in summer 1604. In England, the late Queen Elizabeth has been succeeded by King James Stuart, VI of Scotland - I of England. James seeks for his court interesting courtiers, ev. part-time to join the court, such as Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, John Donne, Solomon de Caus. Drebbel collaborates on masquerades and plays for special effects, makes it thunder and lightning, upon request. Becomes one of Crown Prince Henry's teachers, leaves for the court of Emperor Rudolf II in October 1610. Drebbel and his inventions, such as the microscope, the distant gesight, the camera obscura are applauded by Constantijn Huygens, who, around 1620, as an aspiring diplomat, meets Drebbel in London. Philosopher/ statesman Francis Bacon, in his book Nova Atlantis, a utopian society, describes many of Drebbel's inventions, such as his torpedoes, air conditioning, oxygen. Drebbel is well known in China, the USA and England, especially for his feedback control system and the submarine, with which he sailed 'between two waters' from White Hall to Greenwich in 1620.

In the Netherlands, there is little interest in Drebbel, who is sometimes called a charlatan and alchemist. On the grounds of TU Delft is the Cornelis Drebbelweg, which many of you know because of the Education and Examinations building on this street. Only recently, in his hometown Alkmaar, a statue was erected for him, after he was voted 'greatest Alkmaar citizen ever' by readers of the Alkmaarsche Courant newspaper.

Information about the speaker

Hubert van Onna (1945), who like Drebbel grew up in Alkmaar, also a school dropout, ran a business-to-business Marketing Advice Bureau in Amsterdam for several decades. His Bureau regularly carried out assignments for start-up companies, such as WAVIN, Pink Elephant, BSO, etc. Van Onna regularly did marketing work around innovations, always had an interest in History. As a counterpoint to business life, he started immersing himself in the life of former fellow townsman Drebbel around 1985. Van Onna is currently working on a book about Drebbel, which will be published in a small edition during 2019.

You and your guests are most welcome. There is no charge to attend the lecture for members of KIVI and Histechnica. Others pay € 25.00 (including 2 months' donor membership).

You are kindly requested to register in advance

no later than Saturday 6 April 2019. How to register:

- kIVI members: register via the KIVI website (red button on the right)

- histechnica members: register via commhistechnica@gmail.com

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