D.J. van der Ven

Biography

Dirk Jan van der Ven was a folklorist. At a young age, he began to publish on folklore-related themes. In 1919, he became the director of the Vaderlandsch Historisch Volksfeest.

In the early 1920s, he made (with musician Julius Röntgen) the films Volksleven in de Lente, Neerland's Volksleven in den Zomer, Neerland's Volksleven in den Oogsttijd, and De Zuiderzee-Film. The first film was made in collaboration with Filmfabriek Polygoon; Polygoon handled the filming, and Van der Ven was the scientific director. The other films were made in collaboration with Filmfabriek J. Pannevis and Orion Filmfabriek. Van der Ven wrote many books and pamphlets that contributed to the popularization of folklore in the Netherlands.