Many inhabitants from Rotterdam and other people from Holland who visited Rotterdam Zoo (‘Diergaarde Blijdorp’) were invited to an Austin J40 pedal car near the entrance. There, street photographer and son of an Italian immigrant Humberto Randolfi was waiting to make a black and white photograph of their children in the pedal car. The children were either excited or scared, their hair combed and often surrounded by older brothers, sisters and parents. Dutch photographer Kees Molkenboer captured Randolfi while he was photographing the children in the late 1950s. That particular photograph, from the collection of the Netherlands Photo Museum has become an icon of the postwar reconstruction of Rotterdam. Attention was also paid to another street photographer, ‘Kodak Piet’, who made portraits in nearby Vlaardingen using a similar pedal car. Appeals generated a lot of reactions from people with their pedal car photographs. Part of
this collection was shown in an exhibition at our gallery. Would you happen to own such a photograph with a pedal car, you can still mail it to us (trapauto@digitup.nl). You can also visit the gallery and we will scan the photograph, after which it will be returned to you. If you have no objection, the photograph can be added to our online exposition (without details, name and address off course).

During their visit to Rotterdam Zoo, many young Rotterdammers took their place in a pedal car at the entrance. With a beaming look, the hair combed and sometimes flank by older brothers, sisters and parents, the camera of ‘street photographer’ Randolfi looked for a coveted print in black and white. Photographer Kees Molkenboer captured the Italian photographer who regularly stood with a pedal car in front of the entrance of Blijdorp Zoo to photograph children in the late 1950s. This photo from the collection of the Nederlands Fotomuseum has become an icon of the reconstruction of Rotterdam. Attention is also paid to street photographer ‘Kodak Piet’ who made portraits in Vlaardingen with the same pedal car. Calls from the public generated a lot of reactions. A part is shown in an exhibition. If you have a picture with the pedal car you can mail it to trapauto@digitup.nl or visit the gallery