{{Short description|Dutch physician and writer (1636–1689)}} {{Infobox writer | name = Olfert Dapper | image = Olfert Dapper portrait.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = January 1636 | birth_place = Amsterdam, Dutch Republic | death_date = {{Death date and age|1689|12|29|1636|1|6|df=y}} | death_place = Amsterdam, Dutch Republic | occupation = Geographer, writer | nationality = Dutch | period = | subject = History, geography | movement = | influences = | influenced = }}

'''Olfert Dapper''' (January 1636 – 29 December 1689) was a Dutch physician and writer who wrote books about world history and geography although he never travelled outside the Netherlands.

==Biography== [[Image:Plan Corfou 1688.jpg|thumb|Illustration of the city and castle of Corfu, from Dapper's book ''Description of Morea'' (1688)]] [[Image:Court of Loango.png|thumb|Illustration of the ruler of Loango, from Dapper's ''Description of Africa'' (1668)]] Olfert Dapper was born in January 1636 in the Jordaan in Amsterdam. On 6 January 1636, he was baptized in the Lutheran church in Amsterdam.<ref name="olfertdapper">{{cite web | title = Olfert Dapper | publisher = Musée Dapper | url = http://www.dapper.com.fr/en/foundation-olfert.php | access-date = 2008-05-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080215213008/http://dapper.com.fr/en/foundation-olfert.php | archive-date = 2008-02-15 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 1663 wrote a book on the history of Amsterdam. His ''Description of Africa'' (1668) is a key text for African studies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/dapper-olfert-umbstandliche-und-eigentliche-beschreibung-5281565-details.aspx|title=DAPPER, Olfert (1636-89). ''Umbständliche und Eigentliche Beschreibung von Africa.'' Translated into German by F. von Zesen. Amsterdam: Jacob van Meurs, 1670-1671.|publisher=|access-date=2015-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427112815/http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/dapper-olfert-umbstandliche-und-eigentliche-beschreibung-5281565-details.aspx|archive-date=2015-04-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> His book "is one of the most authoritative 17th-century accounts on Africa published in Dutch. Translations appeared in English, French, and German.<ref name="olfertdapper"/> Dapper never travelled outside the Netherlands but used reports by Jesuit missionaries and Dutch explorers. Within a few years, he published about China, India, Persia, Georgia and Arabia. His books became well-known in his own time. The fine plates include views of Algiers, Benin, Cairo, Cape Town, Valletta, Marrakesh, St. Helena, Tangier, Tripoli and Tunis, as well as animals and plants.

Dapper was buried on 29 December 1689 in Amsterdam.<ref name="olfertdapper"/>

==Influence== Dapper's book ''Description of Africa'' is an important text for Africanists.<ref name="olfertdapper"/>

In Amsterdam, the street Dapperstraat was named after him. The Dutch writer Willem Frederik Hermans wrote a book on him with the title ''Het Evangelie van O. Dapper Dapper'' (1973).

In Paris, the Musée Dapper named for him opened in 1986.<ref name="museedapper">{{cite web | title = The Foundation | publisher = Musée Dapper | url = http://www.dapper.com.fr/en/foundation.php | access-date = 2008-05-22 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080125151501/http://dapper.com.fr/en/foundation.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-01-25}}</ref> Peter S. Beagle dedicated ''The Last Unicorn'' to Dapper for his reports of unicorns in Maine<ref name="unicorn">{{cite web |title=The Last Unicorn Dedication Page |url=http://www.geocities.com/oimoi.geo/guide/super.html |access-date=2009-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022135449/http://geocities.com/oimoi.geo/guide/super.html |archive-date=October 22, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in 2012 wrote a fictional account of Dapper's travels.<ref name="beagle_dapper">{{cite magazine| title = Olfert Dapper's Day| first = Peter S. | last = Beagle| authorlink = Peter S. Beagle| type = genre: Fantasy literature| magazine = F&SF| orig-year = released March/April 2012| date=March 2012| url = http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/toc1203.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120313030641/http://sfsite.com/fsf/toc1203.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = March 13, 2012| access-date = 2012-05-17| ref = Beagle_Dapper_Novellet}}</ref>

==Bibliography== [[Image:Dapper Asia 1681 Title.jpg|thumb|Illustration of people riding an elephant, from the 1681 German edition of the Dapper's ''Description of Asia'' (1680)]]

*''Historische beschryving der Stadt Amsterdam : waer in de voornaemste geschiedenissen ... hier ter stede voor-gevallen zijn, verhandelt, en ... in meer als tzeventigh kopere platen ... vertoont worden'' (1663)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10066890 |title=Rijksmuseum Research Library<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2008-05-22 |archive-date=2023-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517233342/https://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10066890 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/gri_33125009359999#page/n7/mode/2up |via=Internet Archive |title=Naukeurige Beschrijvingen der Afrikaensche gewesten |year=1668 }} + [https://books.google.com/books?id=hSxPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA121 Index]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/amh/detail.aspx?page=dbron&lang=en&id=740|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070616040745/http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/amh/detail.aspx?page=dbron&lang=en&id=740|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-06-16|title=Atlas of Mutual Heritage|first=Atlas of Mutual|last=Heritage}}</ref> *''Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche Eylanden'' (1668)<ref>[http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/amh/detail.aspx?page=dbron&lang=en&id=741 "Literature (1600-1800): Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche Eylanden<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Description of Africa)</ref> *''Gedenkwaerdig bedryf der Nederlandsche Oost-Indische Maetschappye, op de kuste en in het Keizerrijk van Taising of Sina: behelzende het 2e gezandschap aen den Onder-Koning Singlamong ... Vervolgt met een verhael van het voorgevallen des jaers 1663 en 1664 op de kuste van Sina ... en het 3e gezandschap aan Konchy, Tartarsche Keizer van Sina en Oost Tartarye ... beneffens een beschryving van geheel Sina'' (1670)<ref>[https://archive.today/20120530112322/http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10054810 item 10054810], Rijksmuseum Research Library</ref> *''Asia, of naukeurige beschryving van het rijk des Grooten Mogols, en een groot gedeelte van Indiën: ... beneffens een volkome beschryving van geheel Persie, Georgie, Mengrelie en andere gebuur-gewesten ... verciert doorgaens met verscheide afbeeldingen in kooper gesneden'' (1672)<ref>[https://archive.today/20120530112323/http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10012664 item 10012664], Rijksmuseum Research Library</ref> *''Naukeurige beschrijving van gantsch Syrie, en Palestyn of Heilige lant; ... beneffens de landen van Perea of Over-Jordaen, Galilea, byzonder Palestyn, Judea en Idumea: ... verrijkt met lantkaerten en afbeeldingen der voornaemste steden, en gedenkwaerdighste gebouwen'' (1677)<ref>[http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10102268 item 10102268]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Rijksmuseum Research Library</ref> *''Naukeurige beschryving van Asie : behelsende de gewesten Mesopotamie, Babylonie, Assyrie, Anatolie of Klein Asie : beneffens eene volkome beschrijving van gansch ... Arabie'' (1680)<ref>[http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10102272 item 10102272]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Rijksmuseum Research Library</ref> *''Naukeurige beschrijving van Morea, eertijts Peloponnesus; en de eilanden, gelegen onder de kusten van Morea, en binnen en buiten de Golf van Venetien; waer onder de voornaemte Korfu, Gefalonia, Sant Maura, Zanten, en andere in grooten getale'' (1688)<ref>[http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10102269 item 10102269]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Rijksmuseum Research Library.</ref> *''Naukeurige beschryving der Eilanden, in de Archipel der Middelantsche Zee, en omtrent dezelve, gelegen: waer onder de voornaemste Cyprus, Rhodus, Kandien, Samos, Scio, Negroponte'' (1688)<ref>[https://archive.today/20120530112323/http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?item=10102270 item 10102270], Rijksmuseum Research Library.</ref>

==See also== * Filippo Pigafetta

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category-inline}} *{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.dapper.com.fr/ Musée Dapper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816161842/http://www.dapper.com.fr/ |date=2011-08-16 }} *[https://www.e-rara.ch/sbs/doi/10.3931/e-rara-85902 Digitized Edition of the 'Asia, of naukeurige beschryving van het rijk des Grooten Mogols, en een groot gedeelte van Indiën'] from 1672, German Edition, at [https://www.e-rara.ch E-rara.ch]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dapper, Olfert}} Category:1636 births Category:1689 deaths Category:17th-century Dutch historians Category:17th-century Dutch medical doctors Category:17th-century geographers Category:Dutch anthropologists Category:Writers from Amsterdam