Out of the box support for museums, auction houses, dealers, collectors and individuals. Specialized in the Napoleonic area.
Over the past 30 years, I combined my career as an international senior project manager and as a linemanager and / or consultant in (mostly) education and publishing companies with my 40 year interest in military history.
Step by step, my two favourite areas of interest have started to mix, resulting in business assignments as interim manager at a museum, strategic consultancy for an auction house and valuation assignments at auction houses and musea.
Vice versa, I applied my experiences with data-management and business research on certain aspects of military history, with fine results.
At the same time, I managed to connect musea to the benefit of both, arranging loans or special objects for exhibitions that otherwise would not have been realised.
Sometimes I worked for the fun of it, sometimes people were kind enough to pay me for my expertise.
All in all, in the future I would like to continue my one expertise to support the other. So, if you need my help for research, valuation, organisation or management and you like a business like no-nonsense approach in combination with a people-oriented leadership style, let’s get in touch and discuss our options.
Edwin Petterson
+31 (0) 614433211
‘My compliments for your discipline and determination to finish your assignment within time, budget and according to plan. A class act!’
P. Meefout, director Venduehuis, 2020
‘Thank you very much for your report. Interesting, thorough work.’
H. Stevens, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 2020
‘In his acknowledgement to all staff members that made the exposition possible, he (the mayor) specially addressed Edwin and Ton for their tireless effort, day and night, to complete the project in time.’
Regional weekly newspaper VAR, 28-8-1990
‘Edwin and Ton searched the whole country to trace and collect the necessary objects.’
Regional weekly newspaper Vechtstroom, 13-6-1990
After years of research, the time has come to share the findings.
Here’s a list of what’s there so far, and what others think of it.
‘Compliments for the very strong documentation of the collection. Impressive.’
H. Stevens, curator Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
‘I immediately had the feeling I was taken on a journey. The design was very clear. You did a lot of work and studied many sources, both primary and secondary.’
T. Bos, project manager Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
‘The sword catalogue has become a very special publication.’
P. Meefout, director Venduehuis
Pending:
– ‘To buy or not to buy’, a comparison of 350 French cuirassier swords in museums and on the antique market.
– ‘The Riddle of the Sword’, about the authors most important discovery during 40 years of research.
Published:
– ‘Charge! Cavalry Sabre Sale, International sabres in Dutch service 1807 – 1840’, The Hague, Venduehuis, 2020.
– ‘Bijzondere collectie blanke wapenen ter veiling!’, Wapenfeiten Nr. 1, February 2020, p 20-21.
– ‘Het geheim van de groene kist’, Tableau Fine Arts Magazine, Year 42, No. 1, 2020, p 124.
– ‘Samenhang plek en betekenis n.a.v. Arrest Rb Groningen 20/10/1993’’, ‘Tijdschrift van het Kunstgeografisch Genootschap, Vol. 149, No. 1, March 1994.
– ‘Het Fort Abcoude komt in Stelling’, in: ‘t Fort Abcoude, geschiedenis en natuur’, Abcoude, Stichting Fort Abcoude, 1991, p 70 – 89.
> Two paragraphs quoted in a review in a national newspaper: ‘Fort Abcoude heeft geen slag verloren’, Het Parool, 29-10-1991, p 11.
– ‘Description of the temporary 320 m2 exhibition in the Fortress of Abcoude’, 1991.
– ‘Guide for Tourguides on the Fortress of Abcoude’, 1991.
Sold Out
Talking about it is even more fun than writing about it,
because every audience brings new inspiration.
‘Edwin Petterson a fait un briljant exposé sur l’historique de ce Sabre (de La Cavalerie de Ligne Modèle An XI).’
M. Adolf, Président de l’Association pour la Sauvegarde du Klingenthal
‘Fantastic !’, ‘Super.’
Schoolmasters Jordey and Marissa, Vest Primary School
Pending: –
Executed:
– ‘Swords under the hammer’, June 18, 2020, for the relations and customers of the Venduehuis, The Hague.
– ‘The Battle of Waterloo’, several groups (2-25), school classes and individuals, 1993 – present. 
> Including E-Introduction, 2018.
> ‘Truth and Legend’, for a service club, 2012.
> ‘Stratego’, for a service club, 2010.
– ‘Fugger’s Treasure’, about the discovery of a 17th century copper cargo in the North Sea, to several school classes, 2019.
– ‘La Sabre de la cavalerie de ligne’, about the French Napoleonic cuirassiers sword, to staff members of the
Brussels Royal Army Museum and the Klingenthal museum of Edged Weapons, 2017.
– ‘The Fortress of Abcoude’, several groups and individuals, 1991 – 2018
– ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’, to a service club, 2012.
– ‘Art and geografy in military history’, fort the Society of Art and Geografy (KGG), 1993
With an open mind, many things cross your path.
Guiding on battlefields, organizing inter-museum loans, creating exhibitions,
research and analysis of objects and events, one thing leads to another and inspires for the next.
‘My compliments for your discipline and determination to finish your assignment within time, budget and according to plan. A class act!’
P. Meefout, director Venduehuis, 2020
‘Thank you very much for your report. Interesting, thorough work.’
H. Stevens, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 2020
‘In his acknowledgement to all staff members that made the exposition possible, he (the mayor) specially addressed Edwin and Ton for their tireless effort, day and night, to complete the project in time.’
Regional weekly newspaper VAR, 28-8-1990
‘Edwin and Ton searched the whole country to trace and collect the necessary objects.’
Regional weekly newspaper Vechtstroom, 13-6-1990
Miscelleaneous
– Promotion video for the Venduehuis The Hague sword auction, June 2020
Guided Tours, groups, individuals, business incentives (ceo’s, legal counsels).
– Battlefield of Waterloo, 1993 – present.
– Fortress of Abcoude, 1990 – present.
– Dordrecht Museum of Art, 2010 – 2012
– Van Gijn Mansion, Dordrecht, 2010 – 2012
– WWI, Western front battlefields (Ieper, Passchendaele), Belgium, 2000
– Franco-Prussian War (1870) battlefields (Gravelotte St.Privat, Sedan), North of France, 1998
– WWII, Normandy battlefield, France, 1993
– WWI, Western front battlefield (Vimy, Somme, Verdun), France, 1991
– WWII, Arheim battlefields, The Netherlands, 1989
Analysis
– A collection of 647 19th century swords and lances, for an auction house in The Hague.
– A painting of a grenadier of a French Napoleonic line infantry regiment, for an antique shop in Utrecht
– A painting of a battlefield scene, for an antique shop in Dordrecht
– A collection of Napoleonic arms, uniforms and equipment, for an auction house in The Hague
– A collection of porcelain statues of Napoleonic soldiers, for an auction house in The Hague
Creations
– Exhibition (320 m2) Fortress Abcoude, 19 augustus – 9 september 1990, planning, composition, design, organization, training of guides.
> Award winner national liveability contest by the Koninklijke Heidemaatschappij, ‘Een kern waar pit in zit’
> Runner up ‘Europe’s best kept vilage’ contest, awarded by HRH Prince Claus, 2 maart 1991 >>
Mediation
– The loan of a Sabre de la Cavalerie de Ligne model Year IX and a Model Year XI, from the Royal Army Museum in Brussels to the Museum of Edged Weapons at Klingenthal, France, 2018.
– The purchase of a genuine French cuirassier cuirass, Model 1812, with rare Zuderell stamp, for a collector.
– The loan of a diorama of the fortress of Abcoude from the Society of the Fortress of Abcoude to the Society of Military Tradition, 1990.
– The loan of a 10cm bronze fortress-canon on increased gun carriage, from the Royal Army Museum, Delft,
to the Society of the Fortress of Abcoude, 1990.
Research
– Research in 20 european museums, and where possible in their reserves, of their collection of French Napoleonic cuirassier swords,
a total of 175. At request, a report of the collection was presented to the museum.
– Research in 4 European museums, and where possible in their reserves, of their collection of French Napoleonic cuirasses, a total of 400.
– Research on Napoleonic battlefields, campaigns of: 1796, 1800, 1805, 1809, part of 1812, 1814, 1815. Missing: 1806-1808, part of 1812, 1813.
The purpose of this website is to help you find me, my services and in due time my books. During 40 years of research on Napoleonic and military history I tackled many subjects from different angles. Usually by making connections that – for some reason – no one else had thought of before. As a spin off, I somehow made a few people happy: audiences at my presentations, participants in my tours, readers of my writings, organizations in want of an object or an advice. In return, I had a lot of fun.
I would like to have more fun. So far, I made many contacts by chance and good fortune. I hope this website will give fortune a little push and help new contacts – you? – find me. Do you need some help, advice or support? Get in touch and we will see what we can do for each other. Although I occasionally get paid, I often help for free or for expenses.
And in case you wondered about the name of this website: somewhere during my projects I stumbled into and then solved the riddle of the sword. I will one day publish the solution to the riddle, but until then I named this website after it.