Prins Alexander upper pumping station, Kralingscheveer, Jacobus van Gorkom jr., 1869

albumen print, h 32.3cm × w 47.2cm More details

These iron machines were marvels of modern technology in their day, and made it possible to drain and keep Holland’s polders dry. The machines are presented as showpieces in these government-commissioned photos. To drain the lakes east of Rotterdam, engineers dug a canal and a peripheral waterway to flush away the water. Then they extracted the water with pumps at Kralingen, Capelle and Nieuwerkerk.