De vernieuwde Jan de Wasser 1820 - 1837

This uncut chapbook titled "De vernieuwde Jan de Wasser" was made by W. & J. Hissink as a form of popular entertainment, sometime in the 19th century, in the Netherlands. Each of the twenty-four panels illustrates a verse of a song about a washerman whose life is turned upside down by his wife's death. The images create meaning through visual codes and cultural references. The song-and-image book was likely sold at fairs and markets, and it reflects the values and beliefs of the common people of the time, although it's difficult for us to say whether it reinforces or critiques those values. To understand this work, a historian would want to consult archives of popular songs, fair ephemera, and the records of printing houses. Only by reconstructing the context in which this chapbook was made and consumed can we begin to understand its place in Dutch cultural history.