Johannes van Keulen (2) (1705 - 1755)

Field(s) of interest: Scientific instruments | cartography | navigation
Gender: male

Born: Amsterdam, 1705
Died: Amsterdam, 1755

Biography:
Johannes van Keulen was a scientific and navigational instrument maker, book seller and chart maker in Amsterdam; he was admitted to the booksellers guild in 1725. Johannes was the son of Gerard van Keulen, and the father of Gerard Hulst van Keulen. Johannes joined his father's firm 'In de Gekroonde Lootsman' in the Nieuwe Brugsteeg, in 1724. A year later, after his father's death Van Keulen took over the firm. From 1743 onwards he was the official chart maker of the Dutch East India Company (VOC); the following year he started making octants, and called himself mathematical instrument maker. Until his death in 1755 Johannes continued as cartographer, publisher, compass, backstaff and cross-staff maker. After his death in 1755, his wife (Catharina Buijs) took over the firm, together with their two sons, Gerard Hulst van Keulen and Cornelis Buijs van Keulen. Between 1755-1779 the firm was called Johannes van Keulen & Zoonen.

Collections: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Scheepvaart Museum, Amsterdam; Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum, Groningen; Universiteitsmuseum, Utrecht; Zuiderzeemuseum, Enkhuizen; Museon,The Hague; Museum Vlaardingen; Maritiem en Juttersmuseum, Texel; Fries Museum, Leeuwarden; Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg; Museum fur Hamburgische Geschichte; Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut, Hamburg; Handels -og Sjofartsmuseet Kronborg, Denmark; Tonder Museum, Denmark;The Stuart Museum, Montreal, Canada; The Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum, Chicago, Illinois; Bergens Sjofartsmuseum, Norway; Musee national de la Marine, Paris; Stenomuseum, Arhus, Denmark; Geo Forschungs Zentrum, Potsdam, Germany; Naval Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; Reddingmusem 'Abraham Fock', Hollum, Ameland.

Occupations:
Instrument maker, publisher and cartographer: 1724 - 1755 (Amsterdam)

Sources:
Kuile, S. ter and W.F.J. Mörzer Bruyns, Amsterdamse kompasmakers ca.1580-ca.1850. (Amsterdam 1999).

Mörzer Bruyns, W.F.J. The cross-staff: history and development of a navigational instrument. (Amsterdam/Zutphen 1994).

Mörzer Bruyns, W.F.J. 'The Cross-Staff Ten Years Later An Update with Recently Found Examples', in: Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society 80 (2004).

Keulen, E.O. van, W.F.J. Mörzer Bruyns, et al, 'In de Gekroonde Lootsman': het kaarten-, boekuitgevers en instrumentenmakershuis Van Keulen te Amsterdam 1680-1885. (Utrecht 1989).

Mörzer Bruyns, W.F.J. Schip recht door zee: de octant in de Republiek in de achttiende eeuw. (Amsterdam 2003).