Out and about with Goetghebuer

Pierre Jacques Goetghebuer (Feb. 26, 1788 - May 19, 1866) was a Ghent collector of more than 4,250 prints, maps, photographs and coins, sharing a common theme: his hometown of Ghent. Goetghebuer trained as an architect at the Academy of Ghent, but hardly ever carried out this profession; only a handful of buildings bear traces of his design. After producing his best-known book, "Choix des Monuments et Edifices les plus remarquables du royaume des Pays Bas" between 1817 and 1827, he was mainly concerned with adding to and inventorying his collection, which was widely known and very accessible. Throughout this walk, the voice of the 19th-century architect-collector himself resounds: whenever possible, he recounts his beloved city and its timeless monuments in his own inimitable way.