[DU BOIS-NIHOUL & Cie, A.] "Bruxelles-Port de mer. Project for a maritime canal linking the capital to the Scheldt. Projected works in the vicinity of the city." [Realized on: Map of Brussels and its surroundings, Brussels, 4th sheet]. Brussels Établissement géographique de Bruxelles founded by Ph. Van der Maelen [c. 1871] In-foith: title; plan, 75 x 151 cm, scale 1:5000, cloth-backed and folded (plan slightly yellowed at the central fold in width, cloth-backed loose but complete). Bound in black cloth from the ep., with gilt and cold-stamped fillets around the boards, title and crowned numeral gilt on the upper board, spine mute (title and plan unfolded, a few folds in the cloth). Remarkable project drawn in red ink, with waterways and water bodies colored in blue, on a part of a plan of Brussels. These layouts concern in particular a diversion of the Senne and the creation of five large basins, a warehouse and a "small [dry] dock" on the left bank of the Willebroeck canal, the present site of "Tour et Taxis" (built in 1904-1907), with docks, sheds and railroads. The lower left part of the plan has been cut out to make room for a title block, with the signature "Le demandeur en concession". In 1864, the architect Albert Dubois-Nihoul (1800-1883) had proposed to the City of Brussels a project for the transformation of the port of Brussels to accommodate "large sea-going ships". In 1871, the company "A. du Bois-Nihoul & Cie" returned to the project by developing a concept of "sea port". The KBR keeps 3 documents related to this project, 2 of them under the same title, with plans from the same publisher, same scale but smaller size (26 x 64 cm). Presentation copy offered to the king of the Belgians Leopold II, whose interest in large works is well known. Ref. Fincoeur & Silvestre IV:355-356. Prov. Leopold II (1835-1909), King of the Belgians (super bookplate with crowned interlocking figure "LL"). - [Goffinet].