Photography: Ton Grote
Text: Ton Grote
Design: Jeremy Jansen
2021
Book of the month April 2022
On the cover we see a photo of a street with trees and hedges and the number 56. Only when we open the cover further do we read 'Eindhovenseweg' and 'Ton Grote'. Eindhovenseweg 56 is an address. This could be the view from that address.
The interior is filled with photos of utensils, from crockery to clothing and tools. It is an inventory of a complete household with items purchased over the years. Very ordinary things, but therefore also so recognizable.
On the inside of the cover is a short English text from the author of the book.
“The stories we tell are based on our memories and the objects around us. Documenting is a form of preservation and what is preserved tells a history. These are the traces of an existence.”
The photos of the objects are collected by subject. Most of the photos are in black and white, some are in color and they immediately stand out.
An overview is included at the back with the numbers of the photos of all objects per room, from the living room, kitchen, father's study, the bedrooms of the parents and children to the hall and the garage.
The book not only tells the personal story of Ton Grote and his family, but is also a feast of recognition for an entire generation, with everyone having their own associations with the objects. It is also an archaeological historiography of a recent past. Thursday 28, 2022, Ton Grote tells about the creation of his photo book.
The book ‘Eindhovenseweg 56’ is published by The Eriskay Connection and is in the library of Pennings Foundation.