Andreas Everardus van Braam Houckgeest

Andreas Everardus van Braam Houckgeest (1 November 1739 in Werkhoven – 8 July 1801 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch-American merchant who is mostly known for his participation in the last Dutch embassy to China under the tributary system.

Inspired by the American Revolution, he decided to immigrate to the United States and settled in Charleston to work as a merchant and rice planter in 1783.

As a consequence of a family tragedy, van Braam decided to leave the US and take up a position as chief of the Dutch factory in Guangzhou.

[7] Van Braam's arrival in the city attracted a lot of attention and he published an account of his journey, which he dedicated to George Washington.

In 1798, he decided to leave the United States for unknown reasons, and after short stays in Germany and England, he bought a small property in Amsterdam, where he died in July 1801.

Illustration depicting the last European delegation to be received at the Qianlong Court in 1795 -- Isaac Titsingh (seated European with hat, far right) and A.E. van Braam Houckgeest (seated European without hat). This nearly-contemporaneous artwork had been specifically commissioned by van Braam for inclusion in his 1798 book describing the Titsingh's mission to "Pekin" three years earlier.
Portrait of Catharina van Braam Houckgeest by unknown artist
Map showing route of Titsingh diplomatic mission to the Imperial Court in Peking (Beijing), traveling from Canton and returning, 1794–1795.
Van Braam's account of the Titsingh mission was initially written in French and published in Philadelphia. This is the title page from the second printing in 1798.