KLM celebrates 83rd anniversary with new Delftware miniature

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will celebrate its 83rd anniversary in true tradition with the introduction of a new Delftware miniature. A first copy of the new miniature will today be presented to Mrs. van Loon-Labouchere, Officer of the Royal Household of Queen Beatrix, by Onno van den Brink, Senior Vice President & Area Manager - Western Europe. The new miniature is a replica of the Amsterdam canal house at 672 Keizersgracht, which today houses the Van Loon Museum.

KLM has been presenting the Delftware miniatures filled with Bols Dutch gin to its World Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights since the 1950s. The collection has grown in sync with KLM's anniversary since 1994, with a new house being added each year. The Delftware miniatures have become highly prized collectors items in the Netherlands and abroad.

Each of the miniatures is a replica of a historic building somewhere in the Netherlands. The 83rd miniature is a replica of the Van Loon Museum. This former residence, dating from 1672, is steeped in history. Its first inhabitant was painter Ferdinand Bol, Rembrandt's most famous student. The Van Loon family, who moved into the house in the 19th century, also made history. Willem van Loon was one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and several of his descendants served as Mayor of Amsterdam. The last family member who lived in the house was Thora van Loon-Egidius, Dame du Palais to Queen Wilhelmina. Mrs. van Loon-Labouchere, to whom the first copy of 83rd miniature will be presented, is the wife of the grandson of the last inhabitant of the house.