Weigh House and the Crane on the Spaarne in Haarlem

This characteristic part of Haarlem was painted by the 17th-century architectural painter, Gerrit Berckheyde. The river, the Spaarne, was Haarlem's main artery in the 17th century. On the Spaarne barges are shown loaded with cargo. The goods had to be taken to be weighed in the Weigh House, the large stone building on the corner. Heavy goods were hoisted out of the barges by crane, which can be seen beside the Weigh House. The church spire on the left belongs to the Bakenessen church. The Weigh House and the Bakenessen church still dominate views of Haarlem. (http://www.rijksmuseum.nl)