1925 Molen De Adriaan Haarlem Netherlands Wind Mill Vintage Postcard

About This Vintage Postcard

The iconic silhouette of Molen De Adriaan stands as a proud sentinel over the Spaarne River in this atmospheric monochrome view of Haarlem. Originally built in 1779 on the foundations of an ancient defensive tower, this "smock mill" was a central part of the city's industrial landscape for over 150 years, used variously to grind tufa, shells, and oak bark. The postcard captures the mill's grand stage and rotating cap, reflecting the pinnacle of Dutch wind-power engineering. Its scenic location on the riverbank made it a favorite subject for artists and photographers, embodying the quintessential charm of the Netherlands' historic canal-side architecture. Tragically, the original structure shown here was destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1932, making this vintage image a poignant record of a lost city landmark before its modern reconstruction in 2002.

Details

Era: Divided Back (circa 1925)
City: Haarlem
State or Region: North Holland
Country: Netherlands
Topic: Molen De Adriaan, Dutch Windmills, Haarlem Architecture, Spaarne River, Industrial Heritage
Condition: Uncirculated
Postage: None (Stamp box indicates "UNIE" in dotted square)
Address Side: divided back
Orientation: Vertical (Portrait)
Artist / Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: Uitgave: J. Sleding, Amsterdam
Printer: Unknown
Print Type: Collotype

Additional Information

This postcard was published by J. Sleding of Amsterdam and is definitively narrowed to circa 1925 based on the "UNIE" stamp box logo, which was the mark of the Dutch Postcard Collectors' Union during the 1920s. De Adriaan was one of the most picturesque mills in the Netherlands until it burned to the ground on April 23, 1932. The "AAN" printed on the address line is the Dutch prefix for "To."

This card shows the original 18th-century mill in its functional state, serving as a vital visual link to Haarlem's pre-war industrial skyline. The mill was so beloved that after the fire, it took nearly 70 years of community effort to finally rebuild the replica that stands on this site today.

This postcard would look great framed or make an excellent addition to any collection.

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