The book ‘Herenstraat’ portrays a different view on the people of one of the most stigmatised streets in Gouda, The Netherlands. The residents have to deal with prejudices partly due to adverse reporting. But how justified is that?
Almost every city in the Netherlands has a street called Herenstraat. At first, when you think of ‘Herenstraat’, a connection is quickly made to the stately characteristics of mansions, which usually bear witness to the rich Dutch history, the Golden Age, Rembrandt. However, the Herenstraat in Gouda is not such a street. Small labor housing and concrete pavements are two of its main visual contents. And the socio-economic situation is lower than elsewhere.
Mariëtte Lock settled down in the Herenstraat to get even closer to the people living in and around the street. She was able to capture highly personal, intimate moments and thereby added images to the current view. The Herenstraat appears to be a place of social connection; there is a huge contrast between the monotonous housing and the plurality of its residents.