Barometers Realm

This Large Brass Ship Aneroid, dating to around 1880, was produced by the renowned French maker PHBN for the Dutch market. It bears the signature of B. Holsboer, an optician based in the Dutch city of Arnhem, who appears to have acted as a retailer.

The 165 mm barrel case is crafted from polished brass and fitted with a suspension ring. A narrow bezel secures the original flat mineral glass, which features a finely faceted edge. At the center of the glass is a brass trend pointer, operated externally by a knurled brass knob.

The open dial, made of silvered brass, presents a bold barometric scale in centimeters of mercury, accompanied by standard weather condition markers. It is framed by a reflective silvered brass ring. A distinctive feature of this barometer is the presence of two curved thermometers: an alcohol thermometer with Réaumur and Centigrade scales on the left, and a mercury thermometer with a Fahrenheit scale on the right. The indicating hand is made of blued steel and is shaped with a crescent finial.

At the heart of the instrument lies a 70 mm corrugated nickel-silver chamber, tensioned by a C-spring. The subtle fluctuations in the chamber walls are transmitted to the dial via a delicate system of pivots, sectors, chains, bearings, and levers.

This barometer represents a fine example of late 19th-century precision craftsmanship, combining French mechanical sophistication with Dutch commercial provenance.

The Holsboer firm traces its origins back to 1867, when it was founded in the Dutch city of Arnhem as a modest workshop dedicated to the production of optical and geodetic instruments. Located at Ridderstraat 3, the company was established by B. Holsboer—a man who successfully combined the precision of engineering with entrepreneurial acumen. Alongside the manufacture and sale of scientific instruments, the workshop also maintained a small eyewear section, a sign of how technical craftsmanship gradually began to intersect with the field of personal optics.

During the founder’s lifetime, the workshop earned the distinguished title of Purveyor to the Royal Court, a clear indication of its quality and importance during the reign of King Willem III. Eventually, the enterprise passed to his son, B. Holsboer Jr., under whose leadership a new chapter began. In 1919, a 14-year-old apprentice named H.P. Derksen Sr. joined the firm. Over the following five years, he advanced from novice to master, thoroughly learning the trade. He was soon invited to take part in the firm’s leadership—a gesture that marked not only a deep level of trust but the beginning of a new family lineage under a different name.

In 1925, Holsboer officially became a general partnership (V.o.F.), with H.P. Derksen Sr. as co-owner. During this period, the company continued to operate as a workshop for optical instruments, expanding its expertise and clientele.

The next generation, represented by D. Derksen, joined the family business in 1950. Already trained in optics, he earned professional diplomas in optics, optometry, and contact lenses, including the prestigious City University Optometry certificate, solidifying the firm’s reputation as a leading center of optical expertise. In 1977, the business was reorganized as a limited liability company (BV), a move in step with modern economic developments.

Meanwhile, the city itself was undergoing change. The original Ridderstraat—where the firm’s history had begun—was nearly obliterated by wartime destruction. Although the building remained in place, the street was renamed Nieuwe Plein. But even this location proved impermanent. In the 1970s, the building suffered serious damage due to the construction of the Delta Lloyd complex. After a legal battle lasting a decade, which Holsboer ultimately won, the company was forced to relocate. In 1978, it moved to Stationsplein 12 and adopted the name Holsboer Optiek Specialist.

In 1984, H.P. Derksen Jr. joined the family business after earning his optician’s diploma. By January 1, 1985, he officially began working at the firm, later acquiring qualifications in optometry, contact lenses, and Low Vision (a specialization for individuals with severe visual impairment). His arrival marked a new phase in the company’s evolution—one driven by a scientific approach that became central to its mission.

In 1996, he and his wife took over the business and changed the company name to Holsboer Optometrie BV, signaling a shift in focus from traditional optics to comprehensive clinical vision diagnostics. This made Holsboer the first firm in the Netherlands to incorporate the term “optometry” into its official name. Under his leadership, the company became a place where the eye was treated not just as an object to be corrected, but as a complex optical and biological system deserving of expert care.

Drawing on knowledge gained in England and the United States—including advanced clinical methods—Derksen Jr. oversaw a profound transformation of the business. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Optometry from the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht and became the 23rd Dutch optometrist to be awarded Fellowship status by the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). He also qualified through the NOC-NSF and was appointed an official classifier for visually impaired athletes.

Of particular note is his achievement in becoming the first optometrist in the Netherlands to earn the Clinical Diplomate in Low Vision—a distinction that established him as a national authority in the field of visual impairment.

In 1999, 21 years after the relocation to Stationsplein 12, the building underwent a complete renovation. The newly updated center was ceremonially reopened on November 13 of that year by the then-mayor of Arnhem, Mr. J.P. Scholten—a symbolic act that marked not just modernization, but recognition of Holsboer’s long-standing contribution to the history of both local and national optics.