Welcome!

Discover Your Ancestors’ Stories and Bring History to Life

Welcome to my website, where stories from the past are waiting to be uncovered. My name is Derk Jordaan, and with extensive experience as a researcher, I am passionately dedicated to unraveling the mysteries behind family members, portraits, heirlooms, and documents. It is the personal nature of these stories that brings both our history and the objects connected to it to life. The often surprising discoveries make every search an exciting journey.

On this website, I share various types of publications, from detailed life sketches linked to artworks or documents to my regular contributions to the Facebook page of the Twentse Textile Families Archive. You will also find information about the two family books I have written about the Aalders family, whose online archive is exclusively accessible to family members.

If you’re interested in the origin of a family portrait or another piece of art, I may be able to assist you. Feel free to contact me to discuss the research question and options. An example of my work is the article on three heirlooms of Pierre Stadnitski (1798-1843): a portrait, a commemorative glass, and a 19th-century booklet.

Kind regards,
Derk Jordaan H.J.N.zn