Flickr Favourites: Traditional Costume of Urk, Holland

Today in the Flickr Favourites it's the turn of the traditional costume of Urk in The Netherlands. Urk is a town in the Flevoland province in the central Netherlands. Urk was in the past an island in the Zuiderzee. In 1939, a dike from the mainland to Urk ended the town's island status, just as the Afsluitdijk project was changing the salt water Zuiderzee surrounding Urk to the less saline IJsselmeer. Later in the 20th century, sea-bed areas surrounding Urk were reclaimed from the sea and became the Noordoostpolder. Urk is still a fishing village and religious life has also traditionally been very important to Urk's inhabitants. The kraplap (i.e. bodice) is in Urk made of beautiful coloured silk with embroidered flowers on the front (called the "hartje" or "small heart"). The silver head iron that holds the lace cap with yolk coloured trim, is the oldest type in The Netherlands. The striped apron is the same as the one in Volendam.

For more flickr favourites see ArtMind's blog.


1. Urkerdag 2010, 2. Urkerdag 2009, 3. Urkerdag 2010, 4. People of The Netherlands , about half a century ago

And two picture postcards from my own collection.