- Cas Oorthuys - Guaranteed Real Dutch Congo - (Dutch/English/French)

Photography : Cas Oorthuys
Text : Lieve Joris
Design : Willem van Zoetendaal
ISBN : 90-72971-11-6
Copies printed : 4000
Dfl. 100,-
Size : 26 x 26cm.

The photo archives of Cas Oorthuys consist of over 550,000 negatives; among them about 7,000 negatives of Belgian Congo. Cas Oorthuys made these photographs in 1959, commissioned by the Belgian Government Information Service. Particularly photo's of people, but also of landscapes, rivers, cities, villages and jungles. In this book only photos of the inhabitants of Belgian Congo are included. 'The brilliant full-page black-and-white photographs show us the inhabitants of the country in the late fifties'.

(J.J.M.Mink)

Moreover, it contains a number of pictures of fabric designs that were worn in that period.These cotton printings have been exported to Africa for decades under the trade names of 'Guaranteed Real Dutch Vlisco' and 'Vritable Wax Hollandais Vlisco'. The fabrics have an important symbolic meaning for the Africans and are very popular. The colourful patterns originate, among other things, from Indonesian batik culture.

Cas Oorthuys, Guaranteed Real Dutch Congo was selected by the jury of the CPNB as one of The Best Book Designs of 1992.