Below: Grandson Michiel van der Werf (on the right) symbolically hands over the Davy lamp, representing the entire collection, to director Bram de Groot of the Dutch Mining Museum, 2022. Photo: Jos Bauer.
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| Above: Cornelis Raedts with a highlight from his collection, one of the first Davy lamps. Photo from newspaper article: Limburgs Dagblad, October 14, 1965; photographer unknown. Below: Grandson Michiel van der Werf (on the right) symbolically hands over the Davy lamp, representing the entire collection, to director Bram de Groot of the Dutch Mining Museum, 2022. Photo: Jos Bauer. |
The moment when collector Cornelis Raedts discovered the lamp presented here remains vivid in his memory.
This is evident from the following quote: “I (the interviewer of the article) walk with him along the shelf with all those dozens of mining lamps. Ir. Raedts says: and this Davy lamp, a very old specimen, look, still without glass, I discovered in London. I know a remarkable little copper shop there. You could buy a Celtic armor there. I go there often, and once I found this authentic Davy lamp.” (Schroevers, Marinus 1961: 46 - 49)
The Davy lamp, as one of the first safety lamps, symbolizes the innovation process in mining. Since Raedts explicitly mentions the lamp, it can be assumed that the Davy lamp was also a special piece for him, perhaps partly due to its provenance as described above.
The lamp is also the favorite of his grandson, Michiel van der Werf, who, during the transfer of the collection, symbolically handed the lamp to the former director of the Dutch Mining Museum, Bram de Groot.
(Schroevers, Marinus: Ik kom van hier en ik kwam hier terug. In: Tussen de Rails, Maandblad voor de Nederlandsche Spoorwegen, december 1961, 10de jaargang, nr. 7)