Chapter ‘Van Marum-spuitje’ of Spuitje van Paauw?: Ontwikkeling versus promotie van een draagbare handbrandspuit in het laatste kwart van de achttiende eeuw

Overview & Synopsis

A seemingly simple hand fire pump from 1778 opens up the history of the so-called ‘Van Marum pump.’ The author shows that the true inventor was not Martinus van Marum (1750–1837) but the instrument maker Jan Paauw (Leiden, 1778). Van Marum demonstrated the device from 1795 onward and promoted neighborhood fire pumps, but in 1821 he explicitly denied paternity. Trials showed that fires could be extinguished quickly with little water; critics noted that the demonstrations took place under ideal conditions. The pump was produced in series and further refined by, among others, Jan Overbeek (Haarlem), Overbeek and associates, J.H. Onderdewijngaart Canzius (Delft), and later A. Bikkers & Zoon (Rotterdam), with variations in operation, chassis, and nozzles. At least 30 examples have been identified. In conclusion, the ‘Paauw pump’ was a successful, widely adopted innovation that marked the transition to portable, rapidly deployable firefighting–while Van Marum served primarily as its public promoter.