THE NETHERLANDS CONNECTION/EXPERIENCE
PICTURE POSTCARDS AND OTHER PHOTOS FROM HOLLAND CIRCA 1800s, EARLY 1900s & 2004
On January 1, 2001, I wrote: What a great way to start this year!! I was contacted by a 2nd cousin of my husband, Jan Van Bruggen, in the Netherlands! His grandfather, Kornelis Van Bruggen and my husband's grandfather, Hendrik "Henry" Van Bruggen were brothers--Henry came to America and Kornelis stayed in Groningen, and his descendants wondered about Henry for years!! Isn't the Internet fantastic?
The previously unidentified photograph, which I entitled "Young Man", has now been identified as Kornelis Van Bruggen!
And in 2003, we were visited by Kees and Mary Van Bruggen and their friends, Herman and Toos. Then in 2004, we went to Holland and stayed for one month in the Village of Holten with the newly found, wonderfully kind and humerous descendants of Hendrik Van Bruggen and Annechien Kampel. We were taken on a tour of Holland and what pure joy at meeting all those cousins and their great friends!! Enjoy what you find on these pages. I hope you see someone who belongs to you...we certainly did.
The Appingedam Hanging Kitchens Now!!! In 2004! What a great feeling to stand in the same spot and take the same picture which was taken over 100 years ago!!
And The Appingedam Hanging Kitchens, Then.....
Appingedam 1903 with the Royal Family on Parade
Warffum, 2004 with the Royal Family for Queen's Day..That's Princess Maxima in her jean jacket and red beret with her Prince, Willem Alexander...yes, we saw Maxima and the two other Princesses boogying with the kids!! Great Fun in Warffum!!
And that Lady in the blue hat, with her head turned away, is Queen Beatrix, Queen of The Netherlands. (Excellent shot of one of the many body guards though!)
The following letter was found in the belongings of my husband's mother, Anna Cozette Van Bruggen. She was the daughter of Hendrik Van Bruggen and Cornelia Boersema. This letter was evidently written by a Van Bruggen cousin, Lien Damhoff, in the Netherlands.
This page contains many unidentified photos which were found in the belongings of my husband's grandfather, Henry Van Bruggen. Henry came to America as a young man around 1900 from Appingedam, Groningen, Netherlands. I have scanned these photos in their original frames.If you can identify any of these people, please email me.
