A morning star, that's what they call someone who goes down the street in the late and early hours to find 'valuable' things. A term that dates back to the nineteenth century. Nowadays, the terms 'city-beachcomber' or 'dumpster-diver' are also in vogue. I jokingly call myself a street archaeologist. Carefully, I clean up the treasures I have found, caulk them and present them in their new glory. Each object tells its own story.
Immerse
What started in the 80s as a good way to furnish my student room, soon grew into a serious leisure activity. And although I occasionally earn quite a bit - every year we sell our surplus household goods on King's Day - money was never my main motivation. For me it is mainly historical interest. You immerse yourself in the lives of previous generations.
Second Life
You learn a lot from what people throw away from how people used to live, work and have fun. But what and how they throw something away also says a lot about people For example, some take the trouble to tear up all the discarded books one by one, so that it is no longer of any use to anyone - just try it and you'll know how hard that is. While others give their read books a second life and put them in one of the many bookcases on the street.
Addictive
Garbage hunting is almost addictive. You never know what you'll come home with at night. The most special things find a place in the house. I am especially interested in old photos, letters and other ego documents. And as editor-in-chief of Dans Magazine also everything in the field of theater and dance. In archives as well as online I search for the story behind my finds.
Controversial
Other morning stars I meet on the street have their own motives and interests. Some are looking for valuables that they sell through websites like Marktplaats. Others collect paper and scrap iron to cash in at buyers. I also know someone who is looking for clothes and stuff to send to Africa.
In other countries, garbage collection is something completely different than here. In Colombia, for example, where my wife comes from, it is unthinkable as a hobby as it is an absolute necessity, a way of survival for the poorest.
In the article Morgenster, citycomber, street archaeologist on the LKCA website, Wim Burggraaf aptly describes my passion: 'He [Joost] combines the sensation of searching in the twilight on deserted streets with the 'historical sensation': in the found object and its history. the past really becomes tangible. Collecting and making stories come together in this cultural practice.'
