The Falcon and The Drafting Compass

This colourful relief of a falcon at 84 Bakenessergracht in Haarlem is a replica of the original stone dating from 1726.

Besides the falcon there used to be a second relief picturing a drafting compass ("passer" in Dutch) above this narrow gate known as "Passerspoort" ("Drafting Compass Gate"). However note the sign of a drafting compass in the opening above the falcon! During the 16th and 17th century one of Haarlem's best known beer breweries called "De Passer en De Valk" ("The Drafting Compass and The Falcon") was located here.