Gelder, Benjamin Jacob (1876-1964) and relatives incl. Gelder-Philipsen. Family archive

Consisting a.o. of 4 different passports from before, during and after the war, a flight log on his name (1949-1955, explaining why the passports are completely filled w. stamps), 10 manuscript/ typescript letters from the 1950s on an inheritance from A. van Amerongen-Polak, 10 "Persoonlijke zakenbrieven" (1925-1958, incl. an extract from the Amsterdam population register), newspaper clippings and letters relating to the death of B.J. Gelder, approx. 50 orig. photographs (incl. one of the premises of the "N.V. Industrie en Handels Mij, Fabrieks- en Scheepsbenodigdheden" and many photographs of ships), an extensive printed biography on B.J. Gelder based on recollections of his daughter-in-law C.W. Gelder-Philipsen (1985), notarial and financial documents, newspapers, etc. One of the two children of Benjamin Jacob Gelder, Abraham, was murdered on 19 December 1943 in Auschwitz. An official Police document present in the archive, dated 1-9-42, informs B.J. Gelder that his son had been taken prisoner on 31-8-42. The archive also contains one envelope w. var. documents relating to the surviving son Jacob Emile Gelder (1903-1966); part of the wartime documents are from Belgium and bear the name Jacques-Emile Niesten (with a date of birth 9-4-1902, likely a false identity used to evade persecution. J.E. Gelder was married to Catharina ('Kate') Philipsen; a document of 1941 records herr occupation as "Teekenaarster". Cf. the large lot of original drawings by her elsewhere in this auction. The most recent part of the archive concerns Marlise Gelder, daughter of Jacob Emile and Catharina, consisting of letters, picture postcards, 22 numbers of the periodical Verseloque of the Vondel-Gymnasium.

"De Groningse nettenhandelaar Benjamin Jacob Gelder ondernam via de oprichting in 1905 van de Vereeniging tot Bevordering van de Belangen der Zuiderzee-Visscherij en de uitgave van De Visscherij-Courant in de jaren 1906-1934 pogingen om de visserijbelangen te bundelen. Zijn inspanningen waren tevergeefs." (online available article 100 jaar Zuiderzeewet). In the archive, approx. 50 printed works from the library of B.J. Gelder pro- and contra- the closure of the Zuiderzee are also present (partly in mediocre condition), incl. 2 works written by Gelder himself (contra) and many vols. illustrated w. (fold.) maps.