Mystery of Dutch Photographer Otto Verkuyl Solved by Italian Worker

In 2017, Italian factory worker Pierluigi Ortolano, 48, from San Salvo, bought 141 undeveloped film rolls from the 1960s on Catawiki for €200. The rolls, all Agfa brand, were wrapped in a 1969 Randstad newspaper. Ortolano enlisted photographer Franco Glieca to develop the 4,000 negatives, revealing images of three girls and a family. The project, named Randstad 1969, became a traveling exhibition in Italy (Rome, Brescia, Genoa). A photo of a school bus with 'Garage Pollè' led to a Pollè descendant, then to Leo Kranenburg of Historic Halfweg, who identified the photographer as Otto Verkuyl (1925-2008), a farmer. In August 2018, Ortolano traveled to Amsterdam but hesitated to contact the family. In August 2020, a New York Times journalist showed interest, prompting Ortolano to email Verkuyl's daughter Adriana, who declined contact. Later, Ortolano connected with granddaughters Simone Veldhuis, 32, and Pauline, 28, via Instagram. In July 2022, an online call revealed anecdotes: Verkuyl was protective, once carrying his daughters through puddles after a circus. His undeveloped rolls were left in boxes; some were sold online. The last developed photo shows the three girls with two others on a swing, printed in seven copies. Ortolano continues to be amazed by the geometric composition.