With Imitation Leather Covers

The lending library of the Nederlandse Vegetariërsbond (NVB)

Over 750 works about vegetarianism and natural medicine, the complete lending library of the Nederlandsche Vegetariërsbond [Dutch league of vegetarians] (NVB) are now integrally available at the IISH. Here you'll find something on the background of the collection and a selection of booktitles with illustrations and citations.

Background

This library dates back to 1896, when the NVB received a donation of books from Mr J.L. van de Coeverring. This collection of books and leaflets gave rise to the library that has been the property of the IISH since the late 1960s.

At the end of the nineteenth century notions about vegetarianism reached the Netherlands. The inspiration for a league of vegetarians came from England, where A. Verschoor met Dr T.L. Allinson, a physician and the inventor of the well-known health bread, in 1891. In 1894 Verschoor urged establishing a vegetarian association in his pamphlet Een bond voor vegetariërs [A league for vegetarians]. At the end of this leaflet, which justified vegetarianism on hygienic and ethical grounds, was a form to complete that read as follows:

' 'The undersigned affirms that he/she has kept to a vegetarian diet (comprising vegetable products with or without the addition of eggs, milk, butter and cheese but excluding all meat, fish and poultry), for ... year/months. [...]
He/she is also willing to join a Dutch league of vegetarians, to work as a member of such a body to disseminate the knowledge of fundamental ideas embodied within the vegetarian doctrine and the vegetarian diet.'

The appeal caught on, and the Dutch league of vegetarians was founded on 30 September of that year. A. Verschoor became the first chairman. Other leading figures from the early days were Felix Ortt and Daniël de Clercq. Both chaired the League and served on the editorial board of the periodical De vegetarische bode. Felix Ortt also ran the lending library for a long time.

The NVB yearbook from 1910 clearly stipulated the library procedures and the collection development strategy

'Members of the league receive books on loan at no charge except postage fees. Such requests may be directed to the Secretary, where catalogues will be issued in the course of the year.
Prior to revising and reprinting the library catalogue, the main board urges all members to check whether they own any books on vegetarianism or related disciplines that they might donate or provide to the league's library on standing loan. In this manner the works will benefit so many others [...]'

The first edition of the printed catalogue (1940) featured approximately 600 titles categorized as follows: vegetarianism, vegetarian cookbooks and recipe books, the alcohol issue, general nutrition, health principles, physical exercises, agriculture, horticulture, pomology, social economy, humanitarian works and pedagogy.
The first supplement (1942) comprised 120 titles on sexual hygiene. The second supplement (1943) consisted of 20 titles complementing the fields already covered. This catalogue and the supplements are listed in the IISH online catalogue as Catalogus der uitleenbibliotheek van den Nederlandschen Vegetariërsbond.

The collection of the NVB lending library is retrievable from the online catalogue under collection code 'NVB' or by title 'Uitleenbibliotheek'. The public access catalogue contains additional material about vegetarianism as well.
Also see the archival descriptions at the IISH: Daniel de Clercq and Nederlandsche Vegetariërsbond. Information about Felix Ortt and Daniël de Clercq appeared in the Biografisch woordenboek van het socialisme en de arbeidersbeweging in Nederland. Both biographies are in dutch.