Classic carriages from Museum Nienoord in Leek

To mark the reopening of Museum Nienoord in Leek, PostNL presents the new Classic Carriages stamp sheet. The sheet features ten different silhouettes of historic carriages from the collections of the Borg and the National Carriage Museum. The stamps were designed by graphic designer Ton van Bragt from Someren and showcase the wide variety of shapes, types, and uses of carriages throughout the centuries. Additionally, 2025 marks the anniversary year for Nienoord: 500 years of the Nienoord Estate. So, it was time for a beautiful design for Leek. The people of Groningen are delighted with this PostNL issue!

Classic carriages

Carriages are wagons with 2 or 4 wheels, with or without a canopy, drawn by horses, for the transport of passengers over short or long distances. The carriages on the stamp sheet *Classic Carriages* demonstrate the extent of the variation in types and forms. For instance, there are coachman's and sports carriages, also known as gentlemen's carriages, which often drew inspiration from foreign designs. Rural carriages, such as sjezes, kiereboes, and hooded wagons, have a distinctly Dutch character, often with regional variations. Another group of carriages, such as the *Prins Albert* and the various *tilburies*, evolved from international types from which Dutch models characteristic of a city or region were derived. Most of these carriages were suitable for both short distances, such as a visit in the city, and for long journeys to other cities or villages. Not all classic carriages are marked, so the name of the carriage builder is often unknown, as is the precise dating. All carriages featured on the Classic Carriages stamps are included in the collection of Museum Nienoord, Borg, and the National Carriage Museum in Leek (Groningen). This collection consists of 245 carriages, 70 sleds, numerous miniatures, harnesses, and other accessories. Along with those in Vienna and Lisbon, the carriage collection in Leek is considered one of the most important in Europe. Recently, the depot building has undergone a thorough renovation, making it possible to retrieve many carriages from storage to present to the public. The reopening of Museum Nienoord took place on June 11, 2025, the same day as the issuance of the Classic Carriages stamps. The 10 stamps on the Classic Carriages stamp sheet feature silhouettes of 10 carriages from the collections of Museum Nienoord, Borg, and the National Carriage Museum in Leek (Groningen). All carriages are depicted as large as possible on their stamps, in dark tones. The background of each stamp features a gradient in a color derived from the carriage color. The name of the carriage type appears in the upper right corner of each stamp, with the year of construction below it. On the tabs next to the stamps, a characteristic detail of the carriage is repeated as a larger cutout in muted tones and with a brief description. The color gradient on the tabs echoes that on the stamps. The texture of parchment-like paper has been added to the backgrounds of the stamps and the tabs. The design of the Classic Carriages stamps was created by graphic designer Ton van Bragt from Someren (North Brabant). The Classic Carriages stamp sheet was designed by graphic designer Ton van Bragt from Someren (North Brabant). He immersed himself in the subject by, among other things, visiting Museum Nienoord in Leek, Groningen, where the Borg and National Carriage Museum are housed. Van Bragt: “In Leek, I spoke with director Geert Pruiksma. This issue coincides with the reopening of his museum, where all the carriages that were in storage are now on display to the public. Together with Geert, I selected the carriages for the stamps from the museum's collection.”

Even before the visit to the museum, Van Bragt explored various design directions, guided by a photograph of a 19th-century carriage. “I am a modernist designer by training, with a preference for primary colors and clean typography. I created an initial design concept in that style, but it turned out not to fit well with the subject of classic carriages. After that, I looked at what I could do with carriage parts, with the typical carriage vocabulary, how an exploded view would work, which carriage types we could show, and how a silhouette of the carriage would turn out. We also investigated – briefly, though – what the combination of carriages with images of the people who rode in them would yield. Some elements from that search reappear in the final design concept, such as the silhouette, the 10 different carriage types, and the attention to technical carriage details. The latter not on the stamps themselves, but on the tabs next to them.” Source: PostNL Press Release, Museum Nienoord, HB Vos, Sixty Dutch Carriages from the National Carriage Museum, De Bataafsche leeuw, Amsterdam, 1988, Wikipedia. NB: The sheet has been included twice in this blog. In the previous blog about Stationsgebouen, readers were bothered that the sheet had been included incorrectly. It had to be rotated a quarter turn using MS Paint. To avoid receiving another negative reaction, I have now already rotated the sheet a quarter turn. I received the original image from PostNL in their press release, so please send complaints to PostNL and not to the messenger of this blog.  

500 years of Nienoord Estate (1525 – 2025)

Nienoord is an estate in Leek, best known for the former Nienoord manor (historical name 't Huis de Nyenoort), on the site of which a 19th-century country house now stands. Furthermore, the National Carriage Museum, the Swimming Castle, a campsite, and Family Park Nienoord are located on the estate. Historically, the manor belonged to the village of Midwolde, but nowadays it is more often seen as part of the village of Leek.

The anniversary marks 500 years of the Nienoord Estate, which has played an important role in the region since 1525. What once began as the 'Nije Oord', built by Squire Wigbold van Ewsum, has grown into a place with a rich history and great significance for Leek and the surrounding area. Together with various parties, we celebrate this special heritage and look to the future.  

Coat of arms of Leek

The coat of arms was officially granted on October 25, 1902. The image is derived from the legend in which a knight of Nienoord Castle defeats a dragon that lived in the woods in the south of Vredewold. On the coat of arms, the knight looks back at a blazing fire behind him. It is more logical that the coat of arms is derived from the old seal of the Vredewold area, in which present-day Leek is situated. This seal has been known since the 15th century and depicts the patron saint, Saint George.  

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Museum Nienoord: https://museumnienoord.nl/ 500 years of Nienoord: https://www.500jaarnienoord.nl/ History of Nienoord: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nienoord Previous museum blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/made-in-holland/