5.7 The Kapteyn Household
89
But Kapteyn could also admit that he was wrong:
Another of Kapteyn’s theories was that a child naturally had no love for dolls,
but that it was introduced to her by the parents. That is why he did not want
his child to have a doll. So poor Dody had to go through life doll-less. Once,
however, he saw that the child rocked an ugly dark Japanese doll that one could
move up and down a stick, gently back and forth in her arms like a mother who
was rocking her child. He did not say anything, but in the afternoon he came
home from town with a package for Dody, in which the enraptured child found
a beautiful doll.
After some years, probably in 1885, the family moved from the Winschoterkade to a more central location in Groningen, namely Oosterstraat
OZ (east side) 42 (see Fig. 4.7, number 3). The Kapteyns probably occupied
the upper two floors. Today, an interior design and furniture store is located
on the ground floor. They did not live here for very long, because according to
the archives of the municipality of Groningen they had moved to Heerestraat
6a in 1891, later renumbered to 113a (number 4 in Fig. 4.7). This building
does not exist anymore. Apparently they also moved into an upstairs apartment
there; they stayed there until 1906, when the children had gone to university.
89
But Kapteyn could also admit that he was wrong:
Another of Kapteyn’s theories was that a child naturally had no love for dolls,
but that it was introduced to her by the parents. That is why he did not want
his child to have a doll. So poor Dody had to go through life doll-less. Once,
however, he saw that the child rocked an ugly dark Japanese doll that one could
move up and down a stick, gently back and forth in her arms like a mother who
was rocking her child. He did not say anything, but in the afternoon he came
home from town with a package for Dody, in which the enraptured child found
a beautiful doll.
After some years, probably in 1885, the family moved from the Winschoterkade to a more central location in Groningen, namely Oosterstraat
OZ (east side) 42 (see Fig. 4.7, number 3). The Kapteyns probably occupied
the upper two floors. Today, an interior design and furniture store is located
on the ground floor. They did not live here for very long, because according to
the archives of the municipality of Groningen they had moved to Heerestraat
6a in 1891, later renumbered to 113a (number 4 in Fig. 4.7). This building
does not exist anymore. Apparently they also moved into an upstairs apartment
there; they stayed there until 1906, when the children had gone to university.