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Ageeth Scherphuis

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Ageeth Scherphuis
1957
Born
Alberta Geertruida Scherphuis

30 March 1933
Zaandam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Died16 April 2012
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Occupation(s)Editorial assistant
Newspaper reporter
Television accouncer
Television presenter/moderator
Programme maker
Women's rights activist
Spouse(s)1. Johannes Coenraad "Hans" de Wolff (1931-1959)
2. Bert Sprenkeling (1934-2012).
ChildrenEgbert Antoine de Wolff (1959-1960)
and a daughter by her second marriage

Ageeth Scherphuis (30 March 1933 - 16 April 2012), was a Dutch journalist who broke into television, initially as an announcer. She herself at times attributed this to her good looks. She went on to work in children's television. Subsequently she worked as a television reporter, moderator, commentator and programme maker, achieving a number of significant "firsts for a woman" in the process. In her later career she used her fame to become an articulate advocate for feminist causes. Posthumously it is both for her television work and as an influential women's rights advocate that she is remembered and, by admirers, celebrated.[1][2][3]

Biography

Provenance and early years

Alberta Geertruida "Ageeth" Scherphuis was born, the elder of her parents' two daughters, at Zaandam, a commercially dynamic town with a rich maritime history.[1] Frederik Johannes Jan Scherphuis (1905-1989), her father, was a successful dentist. The family was prosperous. Neeltje Elisabeth Laban (1907-1994), her mother worked as practice manager for her husband. Despite the curse of National Socialist occupation between 1940 and 1944/45, the girls' childhood was relatively comfortable. Personal tragedy nevertheless intervened in 1944, when their only brother was born and, shortly afterwards, died.[2]

Between 1939 and 1945 "Ageetje" (as she was known within the family at this time) attended junior school. When she was 11 her father arranged for her to undergo an "intelligence test", which produced the verdict that she had "very good language skills".[2] She spent three years as a pupil at the local "Zaanlands Lyceum" (secondary school) and then transferred to the "Middelbare meisjesschool" / "MMS" (literally but misleadingly "Girls' Middle School") at Bergen, in the south of the country. She was still only 17 in 1950 when she passed the exams signalling completion of her school-level education. She went on to study at the "Hogere Hotelvakschool" the The Hague, but broke of the course without completing it having decided, as she disclosed in a newspaper interview some year later, that she was "too independant" for a career in hotels and catering management.[2] She nevertheless went on to take a year in England, working in an hotel, in order to improve her spoken English. That was followed by a lengthy stay in France where she worked as an au pair, looking after the five children of a family of aristocrats. Although at least Dutch language translation by Scherpuis of an English language children's book was published,[4] it was not directly through her foreign language skills that Ageeth Scherphuis made her way in life. Instead, by 1953 she had decided to pursue a career as a journalist.[2]

Regional newspaper reporter

That year joined the Zaandam-based regional newspaper De Typhoon, with which she worked till 1956.[5] The editor-in-chief shared in the widespread view that being both a woman and a journalist at the same time was problematic: Scherphuis joined as an editorial assistant. She persisted, however, submitting for publication a report on the placement of a new rooster-figure on the church tower at Zaandam. During the rest of her time with De Typhoon she produced contributions on an eclectic mix of topics, amply demonstrating her journalistic aptitude. She herself would later describe journalism as "a sort of addiction" ("een soort verslaving").[2]

Television and marriage

During the summer of 1956 Scherphuis was sent by her editor to report on a selection meeting being organised by AVRO who were looking for a replacement television announcer to take the place - possibly on a temporary basis - of Mies Bouwman. Mies Bouwman was pregnant. Scherphuis stood out from the various applicants on account of what one admirer identified as her "chic appearance". Finding herself unexpectedly offered the position, she accepted it. On 12 September 1956, just three months after her marriage to the fighter pilot Hans de Wolff, Agneeth Scheerphuis made her debut as a television announcer.[6] She was an instant hit with viewers: this continued to amaze her through early part of her career.[2] The veteran radio announcers and presenters Ger Lugtenburg and Siebe van der Zee declared her "a perfect announcer".[7]

That year she became the permanent replacement for Mies Bouwman as a television announcer with AVRO. (Mies Bouwman, on returning to the television studios, also continued to enjoy a successful television career.[8]) Scherphuis was now "the face of AVRO" and on 21 September 1967 she became the first television accouncer in the Netherlands to appear on the small screen in colour. She wore a lemon-yellow dress for the occasion, which involved introducing an interview with a government minister called Leo de Block. The Minister for Economic Affairs had apparently not planned for the technological advance with such care: his uncompromingly dark grey suit attracted comment.[9]

Following her 1956 breakthrough into television Scherphuis quickly tired of appearing on the small screen simply an announcer.[10] She was keen to expand her television career: but that was not easy. In 1984 she would tell an interviewer: "I was there because of how I looked, and there was not much more for me to do. In retrospect, I figured that became the basis for my feminism".[11][a] She nevertheless found ways to expand the range of her work. She continued to write reports for De Typhoon and other periodical publication. Between 1958 and 1960 she regularly fatured on the role of "Announcer Ageeth" in the Mies Bouhuys television series for children, "Varen is fijner dan je denkt" (loosely, "Sailing is more fun than you think").[2]

In 1966 Scherphuis terminated her work as an AVRO accouncer. She had, she explained, had her fill of introducing gentlemen playing Hammond Organs snd singing girls. She would rather work on current affairs. Her wish was granted. Between October 1966 and 1968 she presented the newly launched NTS current affairs television programme Monitor from Hilversum, alongside Philip Bloemendal.[12] Involvement in more television prosuctions followed. These included the news programme "Scala" and arts-culture programmes such as "Kunstgrepen" and "Uit de kunst". During the 1970s she was increasingly involved not just fronting television programmes, but also in making and producing them.[2]

Feminism

As one of the best known faces on television, Scherphuis was now able to use her experience and status as a journalist and television personality to promote public debate on querstions of sexuality, abortion rights and gender equality in the work place.[13] In this she was, according to at least one commentator, ahead of her time.[2] The programme "Dames gaan voor" ("Ladies go first") which she made in 1973 for the NOS was quickly withdrawn due to poor viewing figures.[13] She enjoyed far greater success with "Ot....en hoe zit het nou met Sien?", which ran from 1975 till 1982, and in which she discussed "tricky women's issues". Jan de Troye, who commissioned the series on behalf of the NOS, was a man: all the journalists and programme makers involved were female, however. At its 1975 launch the seroes consisted of a succession of themed report programmes, but over time the format became less rigid: after 1978 it became in effect a studio-based discussion show with guests and an invited audience.[14] Scherphuis herself saw the series as an important turing point in the on-going debate on women's rights: "In my opinion we set something rolling with it: thoughtful consideration about the situation and positiion of women".[2][13]

Notes

  1. ^ "Ik was daar vanwege mijn uiterlijk en iets anders viel er niet te doen. Ik denk achteraf dat daar de basis ligt voor mijn feminisme".[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Scherphuis, Albertha Geertruida (Ageeth)". "ZaanWiki". Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liesbeth Sparks (11 December 2020). "Scherphuis, Ageeth (1933-2012)". Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. Huygens Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  3. ^ Kees Schaepman (author) [in Dutch]; Bert Nienhuis (photo-portrait) (18 April 2012). "Ageeth Scherphuis (1933 - 2012)". Necrologie/obituary with photo-portrait. Retrieved 18 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |author1= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ Mary Young (author); Ageeth Scherphuis {translator}. "Bekoorlijk en behoorlijk" (PDF). Kroniek van Jeugdlectuur - Voor de rijpere jeugd can zestien jaar af: Listing with brief synopses: Index ref 8725. Rens Strijbos (Achter De Rug). Retrieved 18 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |author1= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Ageeth Scherphuis overleden". NOS Nieuws • Binnenland. the NOS, Hilversum. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Aankondiging van het televisiestuk Leer om Leer door Ageeth op 12 september 1956". Gallery: Ageeth Scherphuis: Omroepster. Nederlands Instituut Beeld en Geluid (Beeld en Geluidwik). Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  7. ^ Sonja de Leeuw; Dana Mustata (23 December 2013). "The mediation of television as a Gendered Medium" (PDF). In-Vision Continuity Announcers: Performing an Identity for Early Television in Europe. VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Tv-legende Mies Bouwman (88) overleden". NOS, Hilversum. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  9. ^ "50 jaar geleden" (PDF). Bron: Gerarduskalende. Oosterhoutse Vereniging van Postzegel-verzamelaars ("Oosterhouter Post"). September 2017. p. 21. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  10. ^ Sonja de Leeuw; Dana Mustata (23 December 2013). "The mediation of television as a Gendered Medium" (PDF). In-vision continuity announcers: Performing an identity for early television in Europe. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn & Philipps-Universität Marburg (VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture). pp. 65–66. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  11. ^ a b Paul van der Steen (1 March 2018). "Niet alleen voor Mies Bouwman was omroepster zijn een opstapje". Trouw, Amsterdam. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Monitor". Nederlands Instituut Beeld en Geluid (Beeld en Geluidwik). Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Judikje Kiers Judikje Kiers (compiler) [in Dutch]; Sofie van den Enk (nominator); Marianne Verhoeven (editor-in-chief) (25 October 2018). "Ageeth Scherphuis (1933-2012)". Wat is jouw keuze uit de 1001 Vrouwen in de 21ste eeuw?. Veen Media (Opzij), Amsterdam. pp. 56–57. Retrieved 19 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |author3= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "Ot...en hoe zit het nou met Sien?". Nederlands Instituut Beeld en Geluid (Beeld en Geluidwik). Retrieved 19 October 2021.

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