Model of a Salt Water Distiller 1820 - 1855

This is B. van Hüssem's model of a salt water distiller. Without a date, it is hard to place this modest object within a precise social history. What we can say is that this object comes from a tradition in the Netherlands of using art to investigate scientific development. The cultural and economic importance of maritime trade to the Dutch Republic certainly spurred developments in engineering. Here, the distiller becomes an object of scrutiny in its own right. The focus has shifted away from the final product of drinkable water to the process itself. This distiller stands as a testament to Dutch ingenuity and their emphasis on self-sufficiency through technological advancement. Such considerations remind us of the broader contexts necessary to understand art objects. Social histories of technology, trade, and industry all become vital resources for the historian seeking to understand the past.