Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Encyclopedia
Royal Eijsbouts is a bell
foundry
located in Asten, Netherlands.
The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which were cast at other foundries, with their clocks.
As interest in carillons increased, Johan Eijsbouts purchased bells from two English foundries, John Taylor Bellfounders
and Gillett & Johnston
, and installed them in carillons.
In 1924, Johan's oldest son, Tuur Eijsbouts, joined the company. Tuur was technically minded and inventive. He took the initiative to learn how to cast bells himself. After years of experimentation, an in-house bell foundry was installed in 1947.
Increased experience and expertise in bell founding over the next twenty years led to great increases in the quality of the bells being made, and when the company celebrated its centennial in 1972, it was awarded the designation "koninklijke" (royal) on the grounds of its reputation for quality and reliability. The company is still recognized for the outstanding quality of their cast bells, which are used in carillon
s and church bell
s. In 2006 Eijsbouts cast the largest swinging bell in the world.
Royal Eijsbouts has been involved in extensive research programs in campanology
(the art of bell manufacturing) for decades. Those efforts have resulted in state-of-the-art computer applications with which all aspects of bell sound and bell shape can be accurately calculated.
Besides bell casting, Royal Eijsbouts also manufactures custom made tower clocks and astronomical clocks of any size. They also operate an art foundry, using several techniques to cast sculptures and statues.
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
located in Asten, Netherlands.
The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which were cast at other foundries, with their clocks.
As interest in carillons increased, Johan Eijsbouts purchased bells from two English foundries, John Taylor Bellfounders
John Taylor Bellfounders
John Taylor & Co, formerly trading as Taylors, Eayre & Smith Ltd and John Taylor Bellfounders Ltd, and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry, located in Loughborough in the United Kingdom.The company manufactures bells for use in...
and Gillett & Johnston
Gillett & Johnston
Gillett and Johnston is a clock and formerly bell manufacturing business in Croydon, England.-History:William Gillett started a clock making business on Union Road in Croydon, England in 1844. Charles Bland became a partner in 1854 and the company became known as Gillet and Bland. In 1877, Arthur...
, and installed them in carillons.
In 1924, Johan's oldest son, Tuur Eijsbouts, joined the company. Tuur was technically minded and inventive. He took the initiative to learn how to cast bells himself. After years of experimentation, an in-house bell foundry was installed in 1947.
Increased experience and expertise in bell founding over the next twenty years led to great increases in the quality of the bells being made, and when the company celebrated its centennial in 1972, it was awarded the designation "koninklijke" (royal) on the grounds of its reputation for quality and reliability. The company is still recognized for the outstanding quality of their cast bells, which are used in carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
s and church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
s. In 2006 Eijsbouts cast the largest swinging bell in the world.
Royal Eijsbouts has been involved in extensive research programs in campanology
Campanology
Campanology is the study of bells. It encompasses the physical realities of bells — how they are cast, tuned and sounded — as well as the various methods devised to perform bell-ringing....
(the art of bell manufacturing) for decades. Those efforts have resulted in state-of-the-art computer applications with which all aspects of bell sound and bell shape can be accurately calculated.
Besides bell casting, Royal Eijsbouts also manufactures custom made tower clocks and astronomical clocks of any size. They also operate an art foundry, using several techniques to cast sculptures and statues.