'JOAN,' a unique travelogue that provides insight into a changing Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. The architect Joan Melchior van der Meij (1878-1949) is best known for Het Scheepvaarthuis from 1911-1916, the first building in the style of the Amsterdam School. The young, still inexperienced architect received the commission for this enormous office building mainly because he had won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1906. This prize included a travel grant, which enabled Van der Meij to travel through Europe for four years to study old and new architecture. Van der Meij recorded his experiences in Germany, Denmark, Italy, France and England in dozens of letters, maps and reports. He also made more than two hundred drawings, sketches and photographs. After one hundred years, these have finally been brought together in a remarkable travelogue that provides insight into a changing Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. This book is an extraordinary time document with previously unpublished photographs and drawings of buildings, some of which did not survive the turbulent times of yesteryear.