Lockkeeper Great

The fact that capturing memories is full of pitfalls is clearly shown in the photo below. It was taken in 1930.

The caption in the municipal archive reads:

At the Grote Sluis, lockkeeper Groot is busy collecting the lockage money. Behind him one of the memorial stones of the Water Board of the Discharge Sluizen of Kennemerland and West Friesland at the Grote Sluis next to the excise houses.

What initially struck me about this image was the lack of a third wooden shoe. A metal can, not a clog, hangs from the fishing rod. Very practical of course, because you can hear from a distance whether the skipper is putting a coin in the tin. With a collection clog or a collection bag you just have to wait and see what you bring in. But it is also a bit disappointing because I had this romantic idea that in a dutch lock you're always confronted with a wooden shoe ….

The idea that lock keeper Groot in this photo is smoking contentedly next to his job residence, fishing at ease for his salary, is unfortunately also incorrect. The memorial stones of the Hoogheemraadschap voor Uitwaterende Sluizen were originally located on the old culvert lock in the Hoogedam. After the demolition of the culvert lock and the completion of the Wilhelmina lock, the memorial stones were placed on the north side of the new lock in 1903. They came to the Hondsbossche lock in 1956 when the Wilhelmina lock was renovated. They are now on the north side of the Hondsbossche (formerly Grote) lock. Not at the excise and lock keeper's houses.

In the picture lock keeper Groot was therefore standing somewhere else with his fishing rod. The photo below shows where exactly: on the northern side of the Wilhelminasluis. Also note the diamond-shaped sign. It is in both photos, but not on the same pole….

Lock keeper

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