VAN LEEUWEN, F. C., and others.

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Dutch Envoys in Arabia, 1880-1950 Photographic Impressions. First edition of this volume celebrating the centenary of Ibn Sa'ud's capture of Riyadh. It focuses on Saudi-Dutch relations, with three introductory essays on the topic. There are also over 60 photographic illustrations of Mecca, pilgrims, and the royal family. The first edition is institutionally scarce, with only eight institutional copies on Worldcat."During the first half of the twentieth century, the pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca lay at the heart of the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This may seem surprising, but in those days more pilgrims travelled from the Dutch colonial empire to Mecca than from any other country" (p. 9). This volume starts with a description of early pilgrimages to Mecca and considers the role of the Netherlands Consulate in protecting pilgrims and developing trade relations with Saudi Arabia. It then covers the work of Christian Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936) and Daniel van der Meulen (1894-1989), two prominent Arabists, diplomats, and photographers. The photographic illustrations in this volume are mostly held in the collection of the Royal Tropical Institute, and show "Arabia as Snouck Hurgronje and Van der Meulen saw it in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries" (p. 9). This first edition was not for sale; more commonly found is the fourth edition published in 2011.

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