| INTRO | PARTS |
SETS Moubal Jumbo |
MANUALS Moubal Jumbo |
MARKETING |
PRICE LISTS |
BUILDING |
MOUBAL RELATED |
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VAN MOUWERIK & BAL
On December 1st, 1915, Mr. Pier van Mouwerik and Mr. Cornelis Willem Bal established the trading company "van Mouwerik en Bal." In November 1918, they received a building permit to construct a sheet metal and extrusion factory in Zeist, at Dalweg Section H, parcel 1120. |
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 Image courtesy Alex Geelhoed |
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This facade drawing is from the building permit application. The address is De la Reylaan 16 in Zeist. Note the misspelling of Mouwerik above the front door. Supervising the execution is W.J. Boot. Photograph of the factory at De la Reylaan 16 in Zeist. Between the headlights is Mr. Bal, and next to him, patting the dog is Mr. van Mouwerik. To his right is possibly Mrs. Bal, and on the left is possibly Mrs. Diet van Mouwerik-Venlet:  Photograph courtesy of René van Gruting Left is Mr. Bal and right is Mr. van Mouwerik. In the middle is probably someone from the Van Viersen & Co. Lasch- en Isolatiemateriaal in Enschede, where this picture was taken:  Photograph courtesy of René van Gruting On 20 December 1920, the company was re-incorporated as N.V. Plaatmetaalindustrie van Mouwerik & Bal. In January 1921, they received a permit to install 5 electric motors. This south-facing aerial from appr. 1922 shows the inital factory in its environment. To the left are the rail lines and the Zeist train station, to the south is a vacant parcel with a balloon where a gas tank will later be built:  Photograph from Het Utrechts Archief, no. X48137-94772, courtesy of Leen Kalden This detail shows the first phase of construction, with the brick office building along the south side, next to it 5 bays with shed roofs and clerestory windows, and a bay along the sheds on the right side. Across the entrance court is a long, narrow building. In white letters on the north-most clerestory window, facing the camera, are the letters "Van Mouwerik & Bal - Plaatmetaalindustrie". A small crowd has gathered at the fence to watch the balloon going up:  Courtesy of Collectie Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie, Beeldbank no. 2011-2002 - detail Also: Het Utrechts Archief, no. X48137-94772 - detail, courtesy of Leen Kalden In September 1923, they received a permit to expand the factory on the adjacent parcel no. 1640. In this undated aerial, we see the first expansion, to the left:  Aerial courtesy of Collectie Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie, Beeldbank no. 2011-5311 - detail (same as no. 011-2935 and no. 2155_047842) In March 1924, they got a permit to expand the factory on adjacent parcel no. 1676 on the Bothadwarslaan with a painting and enameling shop and a loading area, and to make certain modifications to the existing factory. In January 1925, Mr. Pier van Mouwerik passed away at the age of 45. Mr. Bal now runs the factory by himself. Portrait of Pier van Mouwerik, and two death notices in the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant of 29 January 1925:   Photograph courtesy of René van Gruting. Newspaper clipping from Delpher.nl In 1925, the municipality bought a portion of Moubal's land to install a rail spur to a gas tank. In exchange, Moubal gained access to the spur. In 1927, they further expanded the factory on Parcel no. 1756 on the Bothadwarslaan. The photo's below, taken in the 1990's, show that the building along the rail line with the peaked roof was built in 1928. The rail line ran to the right of the building, where the curved fence stands. The building was demolished after 2005:   Photo's courtesy of Nick Cranendonk This picture from 1932 shows the original building (located to the right of the jog, with 5 bays+ 1 bay to its left), with expansions to the right (2 bays) and to the left (6 bays). The large tower in the background is the steeple of the Nieuwe Kerk- Hervormde Gemeente Bethel (Dutch Reformed Church), still standing.  Photo courtesy of Leen Kalden In 1934, they added a staining and soldering installation. This picture from 1934 shows the original building (left side, 5 bays) and the 2-bay expansion to its right. The right-most bay was later substantially altered, as can be seen in the 1965 aerial below.  This detail from an aerial taken some time before 1940 shows the factory before the expansion described next:  Image from Wageningen University & Research Image Collection, item no. 2011-0669 (detail) In May 1940, Moubal was awarded a permit to expand the factory with a spray paint facility ("spuitinrichting") and a packaging department ("verpakkingsafdeeling"). There is a wing behind the original building that has a mosaic above a double door with the number 1942 which indicates that this wing was indeed built, despite the war:  Photograph courtesy of Nick Cranendonk This is confirmed by an areal reconnaissance photo taken by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1945, which shows the above-mentioned wing (saw-tooth roof at the top of the photo):  Image from Wageningen University & Research Image Collection RAF aerial no 3122, taken on 19 April 1945 Production of metal parts continued during the war (May 1940 - May 1945) to avoid employees being deported to Germany. For a while, Moubal had a German administrator ("Verwalter") imposed on them. Alex Geelhoed dug up a report from august 1945, exonerating Moubal from collaboration with the Germans. It states that they initially did not accept large German orders, but that later, to avoid personnel being taken away to forced labor in Germany, they made 10,000 semaphore lanterns for the German Railways, requiring a lot of workmen. They employed about thirty people in hiding and had fifteen radio sets, seven cars, and about 40 bicycles illegally hidden on the property. Production of Mobaco stopped during the war, probably in 1943. From advertisements we can infer that (limited) production resumed in 1948. This undated aerial shows the factory before the large 1964 expansion. To make room for the 1964 expansion, the U-shaped building at the top was demolished. Note that the base of the "U" already appears on the 1945 aerial above.  In 1964, a large new building was built behind (north of) the original building and its pre-war expansions. It housed a stampingg facility along the railroad, and beyond that a sheet metal shop and a plastics joint venture named NV Arcon that made both thermoplastic and thermohardening plastic items:  Newspaper clipping Nieuw Zeister Courant dd. 17 April 1964, courtesy of Anneke Oldenburg The October 1965 aerial photograph below, made to commemorate Moubal's 50 year anniversary, shows the factory near its peak, with the new building at the top-right. The original building is at the bottom of the photograph, facing the large gas tank, with 5 shed roofs behind it. The long narrow building directly adjacent to the gas tank was also part of the factory. The rail line carried passengers to Zeist until 1941, and freight until 1972, and has since been demolished.  Aerial courtesy of AVIODROME, Lelystad, photographed on 18 October 1965 Sometime before 1981, the 1964 building was expanded with two bays to the left. In 1981 the company closed. The aerial below from 23 May 1996, 15 years after the company closed, shows an expansion of the 1964 building with two bays to the left. The shed roofs of the expansion completed in 1942 have been demolished and replaced with a flat roof with blue metal cladding around it. The original walls were left standing. A small building along the railroad has been demolished, as well as the rail lines and the gas tank. The long, narrow building located on the foreground has just been torn down and its replacement is under construction (blue portal frames). But all-in-all, the factory is still mostly like Moubal left it:  Photograph from Het Utrechts Archief, no 828300 (cropped). Vervaardiger: Fotodienst_GAU This photo from the 1990's, taken from the North-East, shows the shed roofs of the original building, as well as a post-war expansion to the right. The white wood building on the left is also post-war:  Photograph courtesy of Nick Cranendonk Below left, the buildings in 2005. North is up. Not much has changed since the 1996 aerial above. In the aerial on the right from 2020, we see that the oldest buildings have been demolished and replaced, recognizable by their light-gray roofs, but the rest still stands. The long narrow building built in 1996 has been shortened a bit: 2005: 2020: 
 Source: Google Earth When the company closed, all assets were sold at auction, including 1.5 hectares of land (3.7 acres), 3300 m2 older buildings and 3400 m2 1960's buildings. The latter figure confirms that the expansion of the 1964 building was done by Moubal. Below right, the impressive list of equipment that was auctioned off on 8 September 1981, as shown in De Telegraaf of 28 August 1981. Six months earlier, on 24 March 1981, the assets of the plastics joint venture Kunstoffenindustrie Arcon B.V. were also auctioned off, as shown below left in De Telegraaf of 16 March 1981:
Special thanks to Alex Geelhoed and Henri de Graaf for some of the historical information. A summary of their research is at the bottom of the page. |
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OTHER MOUBAL PRODUCTS |
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ELBA ELBA was another construction system produced and marketed by van Mouwerik & Bal, producers of Mobaco. This budget system dispensed with the (expensive) wooden columns and thick ground plates. There were only 13 different parts, all cardboard. It allowed for more "modern" looking buildings. The Patent was filed by Harmen Elsinga on 27 January 1939 (application number 91694) and was granted on 16 September 1940 (Patent no. 49313). The patent number is mentioned on some of the the manual covers. It was transferred by Mr. Elsinga to Moubal on 5 November 1940. The patent lapsed on 1 March 1952. The name ELBA is most likely a combination of EL (for Elsinga) and BA (for Bal). There are two ELBA sets, Set A and Set B. There are several versions of each. The first Set A was introduced before the Patent was granted, either in 1939 or 1940. As explain below, I believe Set B was introduced in 1941. ELBA was available in June 1941 as shown in the advertisement below. Here an example of a building made with Set B. As can be seen, items don't fit very neatly. In concept it should work, but in practice, the slight angles of the notches result in irregular stacking. This, and the untimely introduction of these sets around the beginning of the war resulted in limited success. Used sets are fairly rare today.   Model and photographs courtesy of Barend Westerveld |
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This advertisement
from 20 June 1941 in Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia is, so
far, the only advertisement found that mentions ELBA: Scan courtesy Leen Kalden |
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ELBA PARTS There are just 13 parts, stamped from hardened cardboard, similar to the production of Mobaco parts. The colors are similar to Mobaco. Unlike Mobaco which is based on imperial measurements (inches), ELBA is based on metric dimensions. Parts were not numbered. In ELBA Set A Version 1, the fence, parapet and plinth were different from Set A Version 2, and from ELBA Sets B. See table below. For easy reference I gave each part a number, these numbers are arbitrary.
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ELBA SET A There are two known versions of ELBA Set A. Both have the same image on the lid, but with different text. Neither specifically mentions that it is Set A, but the included instruction manuals do. Version 1 mentions the full name of the company ("N.V. Plaatmetaalindustrie van Mouwerik & Bal - Zeist"), that a Patent has been applied for (Ned" Octrooi Aangevr.") and Netherlands Manufacture ("Nederl. Fabrikaat"). Version 2 simply mentions "Van Mouwerik & Bal N.V. - Zeist". Version 1 had 59 parts while Version 2 had 60 parts. Both had 11 types of parts. In Version 1, parts E08, E10 and E12 were all green, while in Version 2 the corresponding parts were different: E09 had more slots, E11 was red and with more slots, and E13 was red. The image on the lid was not adjusted to reflect the changed parts. ELBA Set A Version 1 is on the left, Version 2 on the right. The boxes are 176 mm wide x 293 mm high x 22 mm thick. The boxes have similar steel reinforcements in the corners as Mobaco sets.  Here the bottom of the same sets:  Photographs courtesy of Barend Westerveld Version 2 was more fun with its brighter blue paper, interesting bottom paper and red parts! Here the contents of Set A, Version 2. There is a smaller box inside the box that helps organize the parts and keeps things in place:  Image from the Deventer Speelgoedmuseum ELBA SET A MANUAL There are two versions of this manual, with subtle differences. They correspond with the two versions of the box. On the cover of Version 1, it states Patent Applied For ("Ned. Octr. Aangevr."), while on Version 2, it states Netherlands Patent No. 49313 ("Ned. Octr. No. 49313"). So Version 1 probably came out before the patent was issued (14 September 1940) or before that patent was transferred to Moubal (5 November 1940), but after the patent was filed for (27 January 1939). Since sets were probably produced in the summer, I suspect that ELBA Set A was introduced in the fall of 1939, or in the fall of 1940, after the start of the war. As shown by the above ad, ELBA was available in June 1941. The second version of the booklet, with the patent number, probably came out in 1941 since the patent was issued in September 1940, too late for 1940 production. Since there is no K-number on the manual, it must have been printed before mid-July 1941 (when K-numbers became mandatory), which is possible. Another difference between versions 1 and 2 is the mention of Set B. In version 1 of the manual, there is no mention of a Set B anywhere in the manual and the rear cover is blank, while in version 2 there is a large building on the rear cover with the caption: "Elba Set B opens the possibility for the construction of larger buildings". Set B is very different from Set A in many aspects, and it seems unlikely it was introduced at the same time as Set A. I think Set B was introduced in 1941, at the same time as Set A version 2, because the parts in Set B are the same as in Set A version 2, and because the contents of Set A version 2 are listed in the table of parts on the back of the Set B manual. It is possible that the second version of the Set A manual was printed after the war, but that may mean that Set B was introduced after the war as well. Interestingly, in both versions of the Set A manual, the captions are in old Dutch spelling (with two O's in "Doozen"), while the instructions on page 3 use modern spelling ("Dozen"). I have no explanation for this other than that the narrative perhaps was a last-minute addition after all the artwork for the other pages had already been completed. The Set B manuals are entirely with new spelling. ELBA Set A Manual - version 1  216 x 139 mm 12 pages (incl. covers) B&W covers & interior 19 illustrations See pages DOWNLOAD PDF  Scans courtesy of Henri de Graaf ELBA Set A Manual - version 2  216 x 139 mm 12 pages (incl. covers) B&W covers & interior 19 illustrations See pages DOWNLOAD PDF |
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 Scans courtesy of Leen Kalden |
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ELBA SET B ELBA Set B contains 13 types of parts (versus 11 in Set A), and has 100 parts total (versus 59 or 60 in Set A). The box is appr. 386 mm wide by 237 mm tall (larger than A4). The box has the same type of metal corner reinforcements as Mobaco sets. Set B has a more polished appearance than Set A. The ELBA logo is nicer, the illustration on the lid is more inviting, the manual is laid out better with more consistent lettering, and the narrative is more elaborate. It appears Set B was done later and by someone else. Also, several parts are different than the first version of Set A, and the same as the second version, so most likely Set B was issued at the same time as Set A version 2, most likely in 1941. There are two known versions of the image on the lid, the only difference being the typeface used to write the company name: one version has bold lettering, while the other has thinner and larger letters. Lid of Set B, Version 1 (scan):  Scan courtesy of Henri de Graaf The ELBA Set B, Version 2 has a lighter but larger typeface than Version 1 above. Also, the border around the image is a bit wider.  Scan courtesy of Henri de Graaf The bottom of ELBA Set B is covered with gold-colored embossed paper (the scan makes it look greenish):  Scan courtesy of Henri de Graaf Contents of Set B:  Photograph courtesy of Henri de Graaf ELBA SET B MANUAL There are three known variations of this manual, with subtle differences. Version 1 simply states Netherlands Patent (Nederlands Octrooi) on the cover, without a patent number. Versions 2 and 3 state the patent number. For the rest, Versions 1 and 2 are identical. Version 3 differs from version 2 in several ways: the type has been reset with a slightly cleaner typeface and the illustrations and captions are different. All three versions use modern Dutch spelling. They were all printed by van Lonkhuyzen in Zeist (as shown on the back page). Here the covers of the 3 versions and the corresponding page with illustrations 6, 7 and 8: |
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      Scans courtesy of Barend Westerveld ELBA Set B Manual - version 2  283 x 192 mm 12 pages (incl. covers) B&W covers & interior 27 illustrations Contents of Sets A and B Printed by: van Lonkhuyzen, Zeist See pages DOWNLOAD PDF  Scans courtesy of Leen Kalden |
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MOBA PUZZLE (1933) Van Mouwerik & Bal also put out a Tangram-like puzzle. It was introduced in 1933, as described in the clipping below. The patent was filed in The Netherlands on 1 May 1934 (Application 69310) and published on 16 December 1935 as Patent 38135. The Patent Register mentions a priority date of 4 May 1933, accepted in the United Kingdom, so apparently the patent was first filed in the UK. The patent lapsed on 15 January 1937. This newspaper article in the Zeister Courant of 16 December 1933 describes the newly introduced MOBA PUZZLE in great detail. It is available at G. v.d. Bosch, Slotlaan, Zeist, who also sell Mobaco sets: 
On the very same day as the above article, 16 december 1933, the ad below appeared in De Groene Amsterdammer. The price of the puzzle was fl. 0.95, the same as a Mobaco Set 000 in 1933. This is the only MOBA PUZZLE advertisement ever found. The puzzle also featured prominently on Moubal's letterhead which was printed in November 1934, as indicated by the printer code at the bottom left of the page. It mentions "Octrooi Aangevraagd" which means the patent application has been filed. The patent was issued in December 1935. Considering how few examples have surfaced over the years, the Moba Puzzle probably was not a hot seller. Moubal let the patent lapse in January 1937, which may indicate that they ended production around the same time. 
 MOBA PUZZLE No. B This box is labeled No. B, suggesting there must have been a smaller set No. A |
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MOBA PUZZLE MANUAL 
160 x 100 mm20 pages (incl. covers) B&W covers & interior See pages DOWNLOAD PDF |
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 Scans courtesy Leen Kalden |
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METAL PRODUCTS
Van Mouwerik & Bal was primarily a metal stamping and extruding company. Mobaco was developed as a side line. I have no idea which portion of Moubal's profits were attributable to Mobaco, but it appears they put considerable energy into their toy line which may indicate that it was quite lucrative. Here some metal Van Mouwerik & Bal products found on the internet. Also a catalog of metal products. |
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APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING AND COLLODIONING GAS LIGHT MANTLES This patent was filed 31 January 1917 and granted 18 December 1917, Pat. No. 1,250,726 (USA). Click here to download the US Patent and the UK Patent.  BICYCLE COMBINATION LOCK Moubal patented this bicycle lock in 1920. Click here for PDFs of the Patent applications in French and English.  "Z"-MODEL TRIPLE COMBINATION KEYLESS SAFETY LOCK WITH DISCS-COVER Similar in shape to the above patent, but with turn knobs. These images are stills from a 1930's movie:   CIRCULAR MODEL TRIPLE COMBINATION KEYLESS SAFETY LOCK - THE "TELEPHONE" LOCK Moubal patented this lock in 1924. Here three versions. Right-most picture is a still from a 1930's movie: 
  Patent application 12508 for "Combinatieslot met ringvormige schoot en sperschijven met stuitrand en bijzondere uitvoering van de schoot" was submitted 8 February 1923, granted 16 November 1924, and lapsed 1 June 1935.  ADVERTISEMENT FOR VARIOUS STAMPED GOODS - 1923 Moubal had a full-page ad on the inside cover of the Catalog for the 1923 Exhibition celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the Amsterdam Colonial Institute. It shows some of the items they produced. The text reads: We specialize in stamped and drawn volume products made of sheet metal up to 3 mm thick. Finished and semi-finished products. Custom items from drawings or samples. The illustrations show a cable lug and a bicycle carrier, both which are also shown further below, and two products I can't place (suggestions welcome!). 393 was Moubal's telephone number!   ETON LUGGAGE CARRIER AND STAND - 1924 Another patented Moubal product was the "Combined Carrier-stand for Bicycles, Motor-cycles and the like Vehicles", sold in the UK under the ETON brand name through R. Melville Brown. The patent was applied for on 22 March 1924, and granted 7 August 1924. Click here for a copy of UK Patent no 219,901. It appears there were several versions, with and without stand. They are mentioned in the 1939 Maxwell Bicycle Catalog - see example below.
From the Maxwell 1939 bicycle catalog:  Image courtesy of transportfiets.net BICYCLE FOOT REST - 1927 Dutch Patent Number 16924, "Voetrust voor rijwielen" (= bicycle foot rest). Patent for this device was applied for on 2 October 1925 and granted 16 July 1927. It expired on 15 March 1935 and was not renewed. I did not find the original patent. The foot rest was mounted on the tube between the handle bars and the pedals. The split pen suggests that the round bracket was permanently mounted to the bicycle while the foot rest was only attached when necessary. The three holes on each side of the bracket suggest that perhaps there were wooden dowels attached to one or both sides of the foot rest for comfort. The foot rest allowed for the installation of a child's seat on the horizontal tube between the handle bars and the saddle.     Stamped in the bracket is NED. OCTR. No 16924 (the patent number). Strangely the word Telephone is also stamped on the bracket. The letters are aligned along a curve, similar to the stamping on the Telephone bicycle lock above. Images courtesy of Fer Cools. "DE REIKLAUW", AN INNOVATIVE TOOL - 1926 In this 1926 article, the "reiklauw" is described as an invention by M. J. Prins, employee at Moubal, for which a patent has been applied for. It's a device to temporarily attach a guide to a wall. From what I can make of it, perhaps it looks like this picture. But I could be wrong! Below the translation of this verbose article.
CABLE LUGS (KABELSCHOENEN) - 1926 This advertisement states: Cable lugs ------ Stampings, specially made from drawings or samples  Image found on Marktplaats BICYCLE REFLECTOR & TAIL LIGHT - 1927  Moubal
patented a bicycle reflector, UK Patent 372,070,
issued 14 April 1927. It is described in the patent
application as: "A reflector for use as a reflex light on a bicycle etc. consists of a single three-sided pyramid (tetrahedron) having two of its apex angles equal and slightly greater than 90º, while the third angle is exactly 90º; the reflector being fixed in a holder in such position that its base plane is vertical and the edge opposite the apex angle of 90º is horizontal." They also patented a "Back-Light for Cycles and Similar Vehicles", UK Patent no. 269,091, issued 14 April 1927. It is described as: "A rear light for cycles etc. comprises a reflector clamped against a cup shaped to fit on the interior of a mudguard etc., the bottom of the cup being fitted with a screw bolt for securing purposes. A sheet of red glass covers the reflector and is situated behind a faceted lens." To the left an ad for the ETON tail light, from 25 December 1937 in De Kampioen, reminding people that tail lights become mandatory on 1 January 1938. The ad touts all the advantages of Moubal's tail light, and states that they manufactured the very first tail lights and have the greatest experience. VEEGEE CASSA - 1931 This cash register for petty cash was being marketed to households. It included and automatic pencil, a lever to open the cash drawer, and a paper roll to note expenses. It is first mentioned in an article about a visit to the Jaarbeurs fair in 1931 (12 September 1931, De Zeister Courant):
The left ad is from 30 November 1932 in De Zeister Courant. The same ad was found in De Zeister Courant on 3 December 1932 and on 21 December 1932. The right ad is from 2 December 1932 in De Telegraaf:
ASH TRAY WITH SUCTION CUP - 1931 This article about the Moubal display at the Jaarbeurs fair in Utrecht has a brief description of a metal ash tray with a suction cup that can be attached to any window. Zeister Courant, 12 September 1931.
SOAP DISPENSER - 1933 Left ad is from 21 July 1933 in De Telegraaf. Right ad is from 21 August 1933 in Algemeen Handelsblad. The device itself cost fl. 2.60, and soap refills, good for 300 to 400 hand washes, cost fl. 0.15, which should result in a 50% savings. These are the oldest ads with a telephone number (3 digits). 
 DOOR STOP (H.P. BUMPER) - 1934 Moubal patented a door stop, the H.P Bumper, UK Patent number 442,019. In an article about the Jaarbeurs fair in Utrecht in De Zeister Courant of 17 March 1934, there is a description of the device:
TENO TELEFOON LESSENAAR - 1934 Somewhat related to the above product is this telephone note-taking device with a 50 m paper roll that can be torn off at any length (no paper waste), has an attached pencil and can be attached to the wall or placed on a desk. I did not find any pictures of it. This ad is from 7 July 1934 in De Zeister Courant, where the price was reduced from fl. 6.50 to fl. 5.00.
FOOT-OPERATED TRASH CAN - 1934 Left ad is from October 1934 in Moeder, Practisch tijdschrift voor de vrouw in het gezin. Right ad is from October 1936 in De Vrouw en haar huis. Both ads were in magazines oriented to the house wife. For the green version the price was fl. 5.50, for the white version it was fl. 6.75.   Images courtesy Leen Kalden GENERAL ADVERTISEMENT - 1934 Translation: Cable lugs Meter covers, washers Saddles, brackets Stampings Drawn items Sheet metal work Lacquered or spray painted, nickel plated, chrome plated, tin plated, etc Note the 3-digit telephone number. In the August 1934 Mobaco Price List (Version 2) there is a 4-digit phone number, indicating that Moubal transitioned from a 3-digit to a 4-digit phone number in 1934.  ETON CONTROLEUR - 1938 On January 1st, 1938, red-colored tail lights on bicycles became mandatory. A non-functioning light meant a ticket. Bulbs had a tendency to burn out. Van Mouwerik & Bal devised a contraption that attached to the steering column, allowing you to check whether the tail light functions. Note: the bulb in the device was connected in series with the tail light, reducing the brightness of the tail light. Also, if the bulb in the device burned out the tail light would no longer function, but at least you'd know something was amiss as the light in the Controleur was off.
GAS MASK FILTER (GASFILTERBUS) These gas mask filters were produced for the Staatsbedrijf der Artillerie Inrichtingen in Zaandam. Their triangular A.I. logo as well as the MBZ logo (Mouwerik & Bal, Zeist) are visible inside the opening. Here two versions, both for gas mask model H. The version for use by the army was stamped with a B on the side, the civilian version did not have that stamping. For more information and more images, see DutchHelmets.nl. Example no. 1 - civilian version: 
 Photgraphs courtesy of dutchhelmets.nl Example no. 2 - military version:   Photographs courtesy of dutchhelmets.nl CARRYING CASE FOR GAS MASK (DRAAGBUS VOOR GASMASKER)  The gas
mask carrying case was a fairly complex
product requiring many steps in fabrication.
It shows what Moubal was capable of.This ad from 11 May 1940 in De Kampioen touts the advantages of Moubal's gas mask carrying case: - "steel" strong - gas mask cannot be damaged - gas mask always at hand - easy to carry - delivered to large institutions A Moubal product, of completely Dutch manufacture. The case is 325 mm tall and reinforced with longitudinal ribs. Inside the lid is a small storage compartment with spare parts. According to dutchhelmets.com, gas mask model H was in use until may 1940. After capitulation it was not requisitioned by the occupier, but distributed to various civil defense organizations. Here two examples of a carrying case for gas mask model H. The clasp has the MBZ (Mouwerik & Bal, Zeist) logo stamped into it. Example no. 1: 
 Photographs courtesy of Collectie Honger naar Bevrijding Example no. 2:      Photographs courtesy of dutchhelmets.nl Here the spare parts box inside the lid:   Photographs courtesy of dutchhelmets.nl. Note: these two images are of another manufacturer's (identical) carrying case. AMMUNITION STRIPPER CLIP These clips held 5 bullets. The clip consisted of two parts, a U-shaped base and a wavy spring inserted from the side and held in place by tabs at the bottom that locked into holes in the base. Many manufacturers made these clips. Moubal's clips were stamped with MBZ (= Mouwerik & Bal, Zeist). Top:  Bottom:  Spring moved aside to reveal MBZ stamp. To the right, how these stripper clips were used (Wikipedia): 
 MACHINE GUN BELT These links held individual bullets for a machine gun belt. The MBZ logo (van Mouwerik & Bal, Zeist) is clearly visible on the picture below:   Images found on Photobucket BLACK OUT LIGHT FIXTURE (VERDUISTERINGSLAMP) During the WWII, citizens were required to black out their homes. Outdoor lights were strictly controlled. Moubal made this porch light which met the requirements of the "Inspectie voor de Luchtbescherming" (I.L.B.), the Inspection for Aerial Protection, and was registered under I.L.B. No. 416. The minimum height from the ground is shown to be 1.20 m (4 feet), to avoid a bright spot on the ground which might be visible from the air. 
 Photographs courtesy of Collectie Honger naar Bevrijding APPROVED LIGHT SHADE (GOEDGEKEURDE LICHTAFSCHERMER) - 1940 During the war, there were strict rules about blacking out lights, including cars and bicycles. This metal plate with a small rectangular hole was placed behind the glass of a bicycle headlamp, to make sure only a minimal amount of light would come out. The design was approved by the "Inspectie voor de Luchtbescherming", the Inspection for Aerial Protection, and was registered under I.L.B. No. 026. The ad is from 12 October 1940 in De Kampioen. The photograph is from a different brand, but the design is essentially identical to Moubal's.   Photograph courtesy of Collectie Honger naar Bevrijding HOLE PUNCH This appears to be a post-war product, as there is a stamp on the bottom of the wood base dated August 1949.   MOUBAL TRADE CATALOG
   Images courtesy Alex Geelhoed. Source: archief 2.06.081, Rijkscomissie werkverruiming, inv. nr. 325, C.294 - N.V. Plaatmetaalindustrie Van Mouwerik & Bal te Zeist |
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MOBACO FILM A film ratings report (Filmkeuringsrapport) from 1929 indicated a movie was made about van Mouwerik en Bal. It was 82 meters long and rated "all ages".  Mick Bal (presumably no relation), researcher at the Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid in Hilversum clarified that this movie was shot in 35 mm and is 1 minute and 54 seconds long. The original title was Van Mouwerik Speelgoedfabriek (= Van Mouwerik toy factory). The movie was made in 1926, but wasn't rated until 1929. Film ratings were introduced in 1928 and it took a while to get through a backlog of older films. The movie was made by Otto van Neijenhoff, who had the sole right to produce movies for the VNF (Vereeniging Nederlandsch Fabrikaat), the Association of Dutch Manufacturing, from mid-1925 until en 1929. He made many films about Dutch manufacturers. The movie shows some stamping of metal parts, followed by the construction of Mobaco house #39, and finally a parade of large Mobaco models made with Sets 3 or 4. These large models appear in the Gnome construction manual which wasn't issued until much later (appr. 1931). The movie can be viewed on YouTube, and here is the metadata from the Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid. Below a few stills from the film. Special thanks to Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid for putting the film on YouTube!         CORPORATE
HISTORY
Mobaco collector Henri de Graaf put together this history based on archival research by Alex Geelhoed at the Chamber of Commerce. The text is in Dutch: Beknopte geschiedenis van Plaatmetaalindustrie van Mouwerik en Bal te Zeist en de bestuurders aan de hand van de gegevens van de Kamer van Koophandel. Op 20 december 1920 is bij notaris Alexander Pedro Schröder te Amersfoort door de heren Pieter van Mouwerik, Cornelis Willem Bal en Menno Ufkes de naamloze vennootschap Plaatmetaalindustrie van Mouwerik en Bal opgericht als voortzetting van de handelsvennootschap onder firma van Mouwerik en Bal (uit andere bronnen weten we dat deze firma omstreeks 1915 is opgericht). Het doel van de vennootschap was het vervaardigen en handel in uit plaatmetaal gestampte en getrokken massa-artikelen, het deelnemen in andere vennootschappen met gelijk of aanverwant doel e.e.a. in de ruimste zin van het woord. Op 21 april 1921 wordt door Cornelis Willem Bal in zijn hoedanigheid als directeur opgave gedaan aan de Kamer van Koophandel in Utrecht van deze oprichting met de volgende vermeldingen van bestuurders en commissarissen: · Pier van Mouwerik directeur · Cornelis Willem Bal directeur · Johan Casper Banz commissaris voorzitter · Menno Albert Ufkes commissaris secretaris De firma wordt door de KvK ingeschreven op 2 mei 1921 onder dossiernummer 460 Op 9 april 1925 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven dat Pieter van Mouwerik uitgetreden is als bestuurder door zijn overlijden. Dit wordt in het dossier vastgelegd op 15 april 1925. Op 26 oktober 1931 wordt bij notaris Alexander Pedro Schröder te Amersfoort vastgelegd dat in de algemene vergadering van aandeelhouders een statutenwijziging heeft plaatst gevonden en dat C.W. Bal gemachtigd is deze wijziging notarieel vast te leggen. Op 6 september 1935 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en vastgelegd dat Johannes Paulus van den Berg als mededirecteur is aangesteld. Op 6 juli 1936 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 14 juli 1936 vastgelegd dat Henri Godfried Victor Hymans als President commissaris en Mozes Abraham Hamburger als commissaris zijn aangesteld. Op 17 december 1941 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 24 december 1941 vastgelegd dat H.G.V. Hymans als President commissaris is afgetreden. Op 17 december 1941 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 24 december 1941 vastgelegd dat Cornelis Maris als President commissaris is aangesteld. Bij brief van 13 maart 1942 beslist de Reichskommissar für die bestzten Niederlandische Gebiete (onderafdeling Commissaris Generaal van Financiën en Economische zaken) dat het bedrijf onder toezicht wordt gesteld door een bewindvoerder (Treuhänder) de heer Georg Ernst Fischer (Rijks-Duitser) onder gelijktijdige benoeming van een verkoopbewindvoerder (Veräusserungstreuhänder) de N.V. Nederlandse Maatschappij voor afwikkeling van Ondernemingen. Bij schrijven van 17 maart 1942 meldt de bewindvoerder dat hij tot nader order de heer C.W. Bal als directeur kan aanblijven. Op 20 maart 1942 wordt door G.E. Fischer (bewindvoerder) aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 7 april 1942 vastgelegd dat M.A. Hamburger als commissaris is afgetreden. Op 20 maart 1942 wordt door G.E. Fischer (bewindvoerder) aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 7 april 1942 vastgelegd dat hij is aangesteld als bewindvoerder en N.V. Nederlandse Maatschappij voor afwikkeling van Ondernemingen als verkoopbewindvoerder. Met een brief van 25 april 1942 meldt het departement van Handel, Nijverheid en Scheepvaart aan de KvK dat op grond van paragraaf 7 van de verordening tot verwijdering van joden uit het bedrijfsleven met ingang van 13 maart 1942 de heer G.F. Fischer als bewindvoerder is aangesteld. Deze brief wordt ingeschreven door de KvK op 28 april 1942. Met een brief van 17 juni 1942 heft de Reichskommissar für die bestzten Niederlandische Gebiete de aanstelling van bewindvoerder en verkoopbewindvoerder op. Dit wordt in een separate brief aan de heer G.E. Fischer meegedeeld. Beide brieven worden respectievelijk 21 augustus 1942 en 2 september 1942 bij de KvK ingeschreven. Op 19 augustus 1942 wordt door G.E. Fischer (bewindvoerder) aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 21 augustus 1942 vastgelegd dat zijn aanstelling als bewindvoerder en de aanstelling van N.V. Nederlandse Maatschappij voor afwikkeling van Ondernemingen als verkoopbewindvoerder worden ingetrokken. Deze intrekking wordt door de directie van Handel en Nijverheid van gelijknamig departement bevestigd aan de KvK middels een brief van 28 augustus 1942. Op 4 maart 1943 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 24 maart 1943 vastgelegd dat Cornelis François van Noppen als commissaris is aangesteld. Op 21 mei 1946 wordt door C.W. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 22 mei 1946 vastgelegd dat Egbert Meerbeek als commissaris is afgetreden. De productie van Mobaco is eind jaren 50 gestopt en daarmee is een eind gekomen aan een roemruchte geschiedenis van een Nederlandse speelgoedfabrikant. Op 16 september 1975 worden de statuten geheel gewijzigd en vastgelegd bij notaris M.A. van Rhijn in Zeist. Per gelijke datum treden aan als directeur en alleen bevoegd de heer Cornelis Gerardus Bal en als commissarissen de heren Frans Klinkvis en Johannes Henricus Hermanus Buys. Op 30 september 1975 wordt door C. G. Bal aan de KvK doorgegeven en op 8 oktober 1975 vastgelegd dat de naam van de firma wordt gewijzigd in “Beleggingsmaatschappij BAL B.V.”. Wat er sinds die tijd is gebeurd met het bedrijf valt nauwelijks te achterhalen. Alleen de wijziging in 1975 door de omzetting van het bedrijf in een beleggingsmaatschappij is gedocumenteerd. Op 7 juni 1989 komt er een einde aan de BV, statutair nog steeds in Zeist gevestigd maar feitelijk in Schilde België, doordat de arrondissementsrechtbank in Utrecht bij vonnis de BV ontbindt omdat bij beschikking van 21 maart 1989 het bestuur van de BV de bevoegdheid tot het verrichten van rechtshandelingen is ontzegd. Dit artikel is tot stand gekomen op basis van het onderzoek door de heer Alex Geelhoed bij de KvK te Utrecht. H.M. de Graaf, februari 2016 Renswoude |
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BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
Below are items
found on the internet that may be of interest to
researchers. They are grouped by topic.
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PERMITS AND CONSTRUCTION
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS ITEMS Here some random news items I came across.
JOB OPENINGS Interestingly, the majority of the job openings are for "nette jongens" (boys in good standing) aged 14 to 16. Later the age is raised to 18 years.
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SERVICES DURING THE HUNGER WINTER During the Hunger Winter of 1944 - 1945, services for the Doopgezinde Gemeente (Baptist Church) were held in the cafeteria of the Moubal factory. From December through April, Ds. C. Nijdam led the congregation at 10:30 am:
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SPORTS Moubal had a soccer (football) team that played against other local companies from ± 1936 through 1944.
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