Vissersmeisje met manden, uitrustend tegen een duin 1861

George Lourens Kiers made this watercolor drawing of a resting fisher girl with baskets in the Netherlands. Barefoot and with her skirt rolled up, this young woman sits upon a sandy dune after her labor, her youth in stark contrast to the labor she is enduring. The image speaks to the socio-economic realities of Dutch coastal communities, where fishing was a crucial but physically demanding occupation. During the 19th century, the Netherlands experienced significant social and economic changes. It’s a period marked by industrialization and urbanization but also persistent inequalities, particularly for those in working-class professions, such as fishing. We can look at sources from the period, such as census records, local histories, and accounts from social commentators, to reveal the narratives of those who were often overlooked in mainstream historical accounts. The role of the historian is to bring those narratives to light.