Haarlem
2 of the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Haarlem. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
town of Holland; 10 miles W. of Amsterdam; is intersected, like most Dutch towns, with canals and avenues of trees. Its principal church is the Great or St. Bavon's, a Late Gothic basilica, built in the 15th century, one of the largest churches in Holland, and specially noted for its lofty tower and its organ (1738). Before the church stands a statue of Laurens Coster, to whom his countrymen ascribe the invention of printing. The town hall formerly the residence of the Count Holland, has portraits by Fra and a valuable collection of works. The Teyler Ing the study of the 435 and the fine arts. Though Haarlem is no longer celebrated, as in the 17th century, for its flourishing trade, it still weaves cotton, casts type, bleaches linen, and carries on an extensive trade in flowers, especially in tulips, hyacinths, and other bulbs. It was a flourishing town as early as the 12th century, when it took an important part in in the t wars between the Hollanders and West Frisians. At the close of the 15th century it was deprived of its privileges by Albert of Saxony, and it suffered severely during the revolt of the peasantry (1492). During the war of independence, it underwent a seven months' siege (1572- 1573) from the Spaniards, in which the citizens displayed the noblest heroism. The wood of Haarlem is a favorite place for recreation; in it stands the pavilion, which contains the colonial and industrial museums and a collection of modern pictures. Pop. (1918) 75,280.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a city of the Netherlands. It is situated eleven miles west of Amsterdam. It is only five miles from the North Sea . Its population at the beginning of the century was 64,069. It has large cotton and linen factories, breweries, and type foundries. During the Middle Ages it was a town of considerable commercial importance. The old town hall is noted for carvings. The Great Church is one of the largest in Holland. It is noted for a tower 260 feet in height, and has a large organ. There are several collections of antiquitiesand of medieval art. The name was brought to New Amsterdam by the Dutch settlers of that province, where it is still preserved in Harlem Heights and the Harlem River. The vicinity of Haarlem is devoted largely to the cultivation of flowering bulbs and tubers. Tulips, dahlias, lilies, and other plants are raised in great numbers. The Haarlem flower shows attract florists and flower lovers from all parts of Europe. See Netherlands ; Amsterdam
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's still repeated the local claim in 1921 that Laurens Coster invented printing, and his statue stands before St Bavo's to this day, but scholarly opinion has settled firmly against him and credits Johannes Gutenberg; the Coster story is now treated as civic legend rather than history. The cotton weaving, linen bleaching and type founding both accounts list have effectively vanished, and Haarlem's roughly 160,000 residents live largely in a commuter and service town for Amsterdam, eleven miles east. The bulb trade survives in the surrounding fields, though the great flower shows Aiton's praised have been overshadowed by the Keukenhof gardens at nearby Lisse, opened in 1949. The paintings Collier's mentions in the town hall are now the core of the Frans Hals Museum, and the 1738 organ in St Bavo's, once played by the young Mozart, is still a concert instrument.
Written for this edition, 2026.