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This family photo, taken in Zijtaart during 1946, was in celebration of the silver (25th) wedding anniversary of the van de Ven
family. The date must be summer or spring of 1946 because the trees are in full leaf and there is grass in the place where the family assembled. It is probably just outside their house. I believe the family is Catholic and rural, which partly explains the conservative dress of the two youngest boys in formal suits and long stockings. The family seems to have been fairly prosperous. They well may have been affluent farmers. The family is large. We have the names of the figures given on the website to which you introduced me. Standing in the back row (from left to right) are Tinie, Jan, Toon, Zus, Theo and Wim. Stitting in the front row are Henk (the boy in thigh-length long stockings), then his father, Christ van de Ven, then Dora (the young girl), then their mother (Anna Maria Aarts--her maiden name, I assume), and last, Hary (dressed like his slightly older brother Henk). I would guess the two boys to be around 9 and 11 years old. Notice the striking Dutch headdress of the mother, perhaps a regional custom. I wonder if naming the father after Christ shows the family's Catholic heritage.
It is likely because Zijtaart was a Catholic village.
This family portrait was taken in Zijtaart. Zijtaart is a village in the Dutch province of Noord Brabant, not far from 's Hertogenbosch, the capital of the province. Noord Brabant and Limburg are the only provinces with a Catholic majority. When I saw the picture of the boys' school I suspected that it must have been a Catholic school, because the Protestant and public schools did not separate the genders. The girls went to a girls' school in the convent near the village. The rural location and Catholic orientation may explain why so many children in the village wore long stockings.
This portrait was taken judst after World War II during 1946. The date must be summer or spring of 1946 because the trees are in full leaf and there is grass in the place where the family assembled. It is probably just outside their house.
The portrait was taken to provide a record of the silver (25th) wedding anniversary celebration for the van de Ven
family. I believe the family is Catholic and rural, which partly explains the conservative dress of the two youngest boys in formal suits and long stockings. It is likely because Zijtaart was a Catholic village. Notice the flowering plant in the center--a celebratory note.
The family seems to have been fairly prosperous. They well may have been affluent farmers. The family is large. We have the names of the figures given on the website to which you introduced me. Standing in the back row (from left to right) are Tinie, Jan, Toon, Zus, Theo and Wim. Stitting in the front row are Henk (the boy in thigh-length long stockings), then his father, Christ van de Ven, then Dora (the young girl), then their mother (Anna Maria Aarts--her maiden name, I assume), and last, Hary (dressed like his slightly older brother Henk). I would guess the two boys to be around 9 and 11 years old. A reader writes, "I don't believe such naming was common in Protestant families. Hispanic families sometimes like to name their eldest sons Jesus."
A Dutch reader tells us, "There seems to be some misunderstanding about the father's name, Christ. I have never seen the name Christ in Holland. It usually is Chris, an abbreviation of the Dutch name Christiaan. Boys never were named after Jesus Christ, not even Catholics. Besides, the name in Dutch is Jezus Christus (Christ pronounced as "fist"). The t at the end of father van de Ven's first name must be a misprint." Yes that is correct. The neme Jesus is a common one, but not Chriso or Cristos.
Notice the striking Dutch headdress of the mother, perhaps a regional custom. I wonder if naming the father after Christ shows the family's Catholic heritage. Notice that despite the formal suit and stockings, Henk wears no necktie, although his white shirt is obviously made to be worn with a tie. The brevity of the short trousers barely covers the tops of his long stockings, and on the right leg you can see just a hint of the hose supporter clasps. Henk probably wears a Strapsleibchen like his counterparts in Germany. Hary, about 9, is dressed just like his older brother (with a white shirt and no tie), but seems to have a metal object in his breast pocket. Is this a pen? Or could it be a clip on fob for his pocket
watch with the watch and chain inside the pocket? This picture was taken just a year after World War II ended. The family is very well dressed. There doesn't seem to be any lack of money for good, dress-up clothes. Of course an anniversary would be a family landmark, calling for the best formal attire.
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