Raging Fire | 20140915 | 1-memo•com | Heerenlogement building in Leiden, Sept 15, 1976.
In the early hours of Sept 15, 1976 the historic Heerenlogement buidling (1652 – Leiden , Holland) was on fire. I was living nearby then at the bottom of the ‘De Burcht’ (a 11th century shell keep). After midnight I was listening to music via headphones when I noticed the sound of the raging flames. I took my Asahi Pentax SLR camera and tripod and went up the hill of De Burcht to take pictures around 1.30 AM.
Image Michel van der Burg – scan of vintage print on silk-screened – grid – photo paper, making it difficult to scan and a lot of work to restore the image.

Citation : Raging Fire | 20140915 | 1-memo•com | Heerenlogement building in Leiden, Sept 15, 1976. | TakeNode ID 1fbb58a8-f0c5-4c26-b711-06a02867a110

Just before the fire it had been decided to start the restauration of this monument (once a ‘city inn’) as a future location for a new central public library. The attached scaffolding is showing in this picture.
Two weeks later a 17 year-old pyromaniac confessed having set fire to the buiding – he had actually helped that night extinguising the fire and getting coffee for the fire brigade. July 1980 the new public library moved in a the beautifully restaured Heerenlogement building. I – being a ‘poor’ student with a part time evening job – sold some negatives but not the copyright of my images 😉 for 400 dutch guilders (around $200) to the head of that library who planned to have a large print made for the boardroom … and, so I could have a short vacation in Normandie with my future wife and kids 😉 The official opening by queen Beatrix was in 1981.
The image below shows the front page and 1 page inside from the library pamphlet on the opening 11 june 1981.

Library pamphlet 1981 | 20140915_2 | 1-memo•com | TakeNode ID ec58e683-6b7c-48f5-8fda-6f0fca60ea86

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