Harry Elk looks a bit sad or bored, but he is sitting at ease, as are the two people in the photo below. It is almost as if they are on display. But if you realize the length of shutter speeds in those days, people probably had to sit still for a considerable number of seconds. Shutter speeds of even 1/25th second were unheard of.
The two people with almost expressionless faces are two of my wife's ancestors. They are her paternal great-great-grandparents. Her name is Annechien Schroeder. She was born in Muntendam on August 25, 1839. Muntendam is situated in the Dutch northern province of Groningen. Today, Groningen is known -infamous is a better word- for the many relatively mild earthquakes caused by natural gas exploration. Her husband, Homme Venema, was born in Zuidlaren on September 21, 1838. Although it is in a different province (Drenthe), it is only miles away from Muntendam. They got married in nearby Veendam on December 28, 1861.
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| Annechien Schroeder and Homme Venema |
The couple had nine children, of whom, surprisingly for those days, only two died before reaching the age of 5. Possibly, they inherited strong genes from their parents. Annechien reached the age of 80, and Homme, a proper Groningen name, surpassed her by two years.
I always find it rather difficult to estimate people's ages from these old photographs. But fortunately, two things may give a clue as to when this picture was made. The first time indicator is the dimensions of this so-called cabinet image. It measures 10.7 x 16.5 cms, which, according to an expert in these matters, Belgian
Peter Eyckerman, is significant for the period between 1866 and 1914. Then, there is the name of the photographer at the bottom right-hand corner.
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| G. Folkerts Stadskanaal |
In the Netherlands, we are blessed with the availability of a reference book showing most photographers born here in the 19th century. Also, our Geert Folkerts is mentioned. He was born on August 11, 1875, and had a studio in Stadskanaal between 1900 and the day he died on July 4, 1916. So it is safe to say that Homme and Annechien went to the studio sometime during the 1900-1914 period. And that puts their age in the 61-75 years bracket.
We'll probably never know why they had their picture taken, but it could very well be because of a special occasion, such as the celebration of their 40-year marriage in 1901. A newspaper ad shows the married couple's gratitude for the interest shown by their community.
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| Source: Nieuwe Veendammer Courant, Dec. 28, 1901 |
We would like to express our sincere thanks
for the many expressions of interest
on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of our marriage.
Although I know very little about this couple's life, I know Homme was a farmhand. Certainly, in those days and in that part of the country, that was almost a guarantee for a poor life. The photograph radiates the life they led; there are no symbols of any wealth or social status.
Two years before their marriage, Homme was involved in a quarrel. He stabbed farmhand Hendrik van Dalen on the property of landowner Harmannus Bulle. He was prosecuted for his behaviour, and the verdict briefly summarizes the hearing.
"Considering that from the investigation at the court session of 16 November 1859, under the summons, it has been legally and convincingly established that the defendant, on Thursday 20 October 1859, on a field belonging to H. Bulle at Zuidlaarderveen, deliberately and violently assaulted Hendrik van Dalen, struck him, and wounded him with a knife."
"The deputy public prosecutor demands a custodial prison sentence of six months, a fine of 8 guilders, and the costs of the proceedings, recoverable using coercive detention."
"Administering justice in the name of the King,
the court sentences Homme Venema to a prison term of six weeks in a house of correction, to be served in solitary confinement, a monetary fine of eight guilders, and to pay the legal costs, assessed at the sum of ten guilders and 80.5 cents, with both the fine and costs, if necessary, to be recovered by coercive detention."
The sentence was published in a local newspaper.
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| Source: Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant, Nov. 24, 1859 |
To put the 8 guilder fine in perspective, a labourer's wages varied by the season. In summer, they made something like a guilder a day; during wintertime, it was less: approximately 60 guilder cents. So the fine amounted to over a week's income (in summer)! And obviously, there was no income while in prison for 6 weeks. At the time, Homme fortunately was still a bachelor.The other thing that struck me was the difference between the prosecutor's demand - 6 months in prison - and the final verdict, 6 weeks. The documentation does not reveal why this is.
All in all, I feel we are lucky to know what our ancestors, born in the first half of the 19th century, looked like. For more discoveries, please see the Sepia Saturday site.
