test

Cornelis Jacobzoon Drebbel

Alkmaar 1572 – London 1633

Drebbel: great innovator ! ‘ the Edison of his time’. Registers several patents with the Staten Generaal. Designs and builds for the court-masques automata like harpsichords that plays by solar energy; develops spectacular fireworks. Famous in Europe because of his Perpetuum Mobile. Constructs incubators for eggs. Designs a solar energy system (perpetual fire) for the City of London; demonstrates the management of temperature –within an hour it is freezing, some time later it is tropical hot in the same room. Lets it thunder and rain ón command’, develops a portable oven with an optimal combustion and a constant temperature, with help of a smart regulator / thermostate, is involved in plans to build a theatre, designs fountains for the gardens of York House and New Hall for the Duke of Buckingham. Is involved in the draining of the Moors around Cambridge (the Fens). Builds and improves the telescope (verre gesigt) and constructs the first microscope ('lunette de Dreubells') , and camera obscura, laterna magica and all kind of optical instruments, develops forerunners of the barometer and thermometer, the "Drebbeliaensch instrument", develops a lense grinding machine, and an improved method to produce scarlet red dye; founds a dye work in Stratford-at-Bow-on-Lea. Builds and navigates a submarine - produces oxygen - designs torpedo’s and sea-mines. Drebbel’s innovations are a result of his skills within Measurement- and control techniques, hydraulics, chemistry and optics.

Drebbel: important philosopher !: ‘The idea of Drebbel as a universal wonderworker was as widespread in the seventeenth century as the idea of Einstein as a genius is today.’ writes Dr. Vera Keller in her dissertation ‘Cornelis Drebbel, Fame and the Making of the Modernity.’ (Princeton University, sept. 2009)

Drebbel’s essays : “Fundamental solution of Nature and the characteristics of the Elements; Now with the following tractates: A clear description of the Quinta Essentia, never printed before and a Dedication of the Primum Mobile” have a lot of influence in his days. Reprints follow for another 200 years.

World fame: Disneyworld, at Epcot Pavilion the Living Seas, Orlando, Florida, a portrait of Cornelis Drebbel used to greet you at the entrance. Startrek: His name is Drebble, Captain Drebble. He travels the galaxy in his ship.

Dr Vera Keller obtains a PhD with her dissertation about Drebbel, her conclusions are very positive and mean a total rehabilitation: Cornelis Drebbel: an A-brand again !

1572 This year (or some years earlier), born in a well-to-do- familiy, in the city of Alkmaar in Northern-Holland.
1573 October 8. The first success of the Seven United Provinces when the Spanish army withdraws from Alkmaar; the end of the siege of the city.
1577 The Staten-General, the governing body of the United Provinces, invite Matthias, brother of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Rudolph II, to become sovereign of the Seven Provinces.
1579 January 23, signing of the Union of Utrecht treaty. The independent Republic of the Seven United Provinces, later the Netherlands, is a fact.
1584 "the pestilence of Christianity and enemy of all humans" (says Philips II about) Wilhelm von Nassau, also known as William the Silent, Stadtholder in service of the Staten-General, In this year, Wilhelm is murdered in Delft.
1585 Drebbel, pupil of the Latin School of Rector Potter in Alkmaar.
1593/95 to the city of Haarlem. Apprentice at the Academy of Carel van Mander, Cornelis Corneliszn van Haerlem and the engraver, painter, publisher and humanist Hendrick Goltzius, a pupil of the humanist Dirck Coornhert (1522-1590).
1595 Feijtge Jansdochter (Sophia) Goltzius (youngest sister of Hendrick) and Cornelis Drebbel .marry. Seven children, Lijsbeth and a twin, that died soon, a son, Jan Corneliszn, and two daughters, Anna and Catharina, another son, Jacob.
1597 Drebbel engraves a beautiful map of Alkmaar, a design of Adriaen Thönissen "Stercktebouwmeester der Vereenighde Nederlanden”, architect of many new fortresses in the United Provinces in these years.
1598 Staten-General grants two patens - "Octroy for Cornelius Jacobsz. Drebbel: the first, an instrument which enables to raise great quantities of fresh water, by means of a fountain from ‘low’ till XXX, XL or L or more feet, floating through leaden pipes” The other, a time peace or clockwork which is able to show the time for over fifty, LX, yes even more than a hundred years, without winding a spring or other action, at least as long as the wheels or clockwork is not worn out.”
1600 Drebbel designs and builds a fountain –fresh water supply- at the Noorderpoort in Middelburg. Meets with spectacle makers Lipperhey and Janssen.
1602 Another Octroy for Drebbel: invention of a chimney system, as never constructed before, that draws and dispatches the smoke in a convenient way.
1604 Autumn; the Drebbel-family travels to England and is housed at Eltham Palace. Francis Bacon, philosopher and statesman is one of the quarter makers.
1604 Publication of Drebbel’s book: "A short Tractate of the Nature and the characteristics of the Elements, and how they cause the wind, rain, thunder and lightning, and why these are useful".
1607 Gerrit Pietersz. (Schagen), Boekvercooper/woonende op den hoeck van de Meent/ op de Waegh/tot Alckmaer, publishes Drebbel’s essay: ‘Wonder-vondt van de eeuwighe bewegingh, -The Miracle-invention of the perpetual motion-. The essay is dedicated to King James I-VI of England/Scotland. Printed in Alkmaar by Jacob de Meester.
1610 The Drebbel family arrives in October at the court of Emperor Rudolph II in Prague.. Demonstrates his Perpetuum Mobile, executes chemical tests and works on a project for the mining sector
1612 Rudolph II, Drebbels sponsor in Prague, dies in January. In November, Crown prince Henry Frederick Stuart, ‘the Renaissance prince’, Drebbels major sponsor in England, suddenly passes away, 18 years old. In a letter to King James, Drebbel emphasises his lack of income. He offers the king to develop several optic instruments, asks for permission the exploit the silver mines, with a new technology and asks permission to organise a lottery.
1613 In February, Drebbel and family return from Prague to England.
1620 Submarine demonstration in the Thames; with 12 oarsmen. "Some days ago I received a letter from my father in London. He mentions a ship that Drebbel constructed, with which he is able to navigate above and in-between the waters as he likes.”. (diary Isaac Beeckman). Involved in a plan, with a.o. the musician William Byrd- to build a theater in London.
1621 Various reprints of Drebbel’s booklets: “Secure solution of Nature and the characteristics of the Elements Now with the following tractates: A clear description of the Quinta Essentia, never printed before and a Dedication of the Primum Mobile”. In his new booklet, Drebbel describes a process that looks like the production of oxygen (the body of Saltpetre is broken by the power of fire and changed in the nature of air) Constantijn Huygens (1596 -1687) meets CD regularly during his stays in England. In his autobiography, Huygens writes: ‘when I placed this moon (Drebbel) next to this sun (Bacon), I was in particular interested in physics. This modest man, a citizen from Alkmaar, had an amazing experience in this area, as I have noticed with my own eyes. Huygens about Drebbel’s microscope: ‘Not only from his hands but also from his miraculous brain comes, what I call the standing telescope. Had Drebbel during his life done nothing else than this miraculous tube, he had acquired immortal fame forever.’ Drebbel works several years for the Duke of Buckingham, involved in garden design.
1622 Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580-1637) Frenchman, Drebbels’ first biogra-pher, describes a mite in the cheese, which he sees through the mircoscope of Drebbel (lunette de d’Dreubels)
1623 On June 20, in Stratford-Langton, Drebbel writes in the Album Amicorum of Daniel Stolcius: ‘Oefent u gaven regt’/Try thy gifts rightly. With a (self-)portrait, printed on the other page.
1625 Drebbel is involved in the design of the gardens of New Hall in Chelmsford. One of the palaces of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, lover and favourite of James I – VI.
1626 Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam (born 1561), Statesman, philosopher, dies in London. “For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself."
1627 Publication of Bacon’s last book, Nova Atlantis. A description of an ideal utopian society, peaceful and technologically advanced. Drebbel did create many of the constructions and innovations, described in the book
1626-27 At the mandate of the English marine and the initiative of Buckingham, Drebbel constructs special weaponry, such as torpedo’s, firebombs to be used to liberate the Huguenots, entrenched in La Rochelle; defending themselves against the army of the catholic king of France.
1632 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek born. Benedictus de Spinoza, born in Amsterdam geboren; the Enlightening dawns komt er aan…….Antonie van Dijck paints Drebbel’s portraitt in London ?
1633 In his final years, Drebbel, still Chief Engineer at the court. He and his the family run an Alehouse at the quay of the Thames near The Tower. Cornelis discusses the Art of Flying. November 8, 1633 Cornelis passes away. He is buried at the Trinity Minories at the eastern borders of the City of London; within the Liberties of the Tower of London
1994 At -40,9 degrees latitude and 49 degrees longitude in the Clementine system, a crater is named after Drebbel, the first citizen of Alkmaar on the moon.

Luiveland 33a 1861 JD Bergen, The Netherlands

e-mail: hubert.vanonna@planet.nl, May 2010

Google Sites

Report abuse