Demonstratie van de slangbrandspuiten op de Westertoren te Amsterdam, ca. 1700

This print, made around 1700 by Laurens Scherm, demonstrates the use of fire hoses at the Westertoren in Amsterdam. It's made through etching, a printmaking process where lines are incised into a metal plate using acid. The artist has captured a sense of a bustling city. The Westertoren is rendered with precision, its architectural details carefully etched. Yet the fire hoses are also a focus; these represent a cutting-edge technology, crucial for protecting Amsterdam's densely packed buildings. Scherm, who died very young, would have used specialized tools to create the etching. He would have had to understand the properties of metal and acid, to transfer his vision onto the plate. The print, like the hoses, speaks to a moment of civic ingenuity. Amsterdam was a center of trade and innovation, and this image celebrates the city's commitment to progress, and to public safety. This print, seemingly modest, shows us how much craft and technology are intertwined.