This is my father soon after he left his home village in Friesland to move to the big city to seek his fortune. He was the second of two
sons in the family, and in those days it was traditional for the first son to get whatever extra education beyond school that the family could afford and/or do military service,
and then maybe inherit the family business or assets.
The second and any subsequent sons were expected to leave home and seek work as soon as they had completed their compulsory schooling - around the age of 14.
Based on the fine clothes he is wearing, this picture was probably taken when he was working as a footman (Dutch = Lakei) for a Baroness who lived in a large mansion near The Hague.
This was probably taken when he was 17 or 18 (he was born in 1905, so that makes it around 1923 or so) as the Baroness had other ideas for him when he reached 19.
These eight pictures are just a representative sample of the wider collection of family pictures that can be found elsewhere on these web-pages.
But for quick easy reference, these few are briefly described below with links to their full-size images.
A I can't be sure, but by process of elimination, I think these are grandparents of my mother. I don't know their names
or even whether they are on her mother or her father's side. (Enlarge)
B Again I'm not really sure, but I think this is my mother's mother. The picture was taken before my
mother was born (1910) and the little boy is her eldest brother. (Harry Kuyters) (Enlarge)
C This is my grandmother on my father's side - Hylkje van der Meulen. (Enlarge)
D These are my grandparents on my father's side - Jitse and Hylkje Couperus. He was born 1868, married 1893, died 1939. (Enlarge)
E Again my grandparents on my father's side - Jitse and Hylkje Couperus, after his retirement as a "veldwachter". (Enlarge)
F My father, Epeus Gerardus Couperus, as a young man in Friesland, probably around the time he left home to seek his fortune. (Enlarge)
G My father again, now somewhere in Central Africa (Western Uganda probably, near Mbarara or Kabale and the Mountains of The Moon) That is a Vervet monkey
on his shoulder that he named Nellie (after my mother to whom he was engaged at the time.) (Enlarge)
H This is me as a young soldier. I am wearing the uniform of The Kenya Regiment, pending re-assignment to the 4th Battallion The King's African Rifles. (Enlarge)