In 1955, at the age of seventeen, Johan van der Keuken published his first photobook, We Are 17 (Dutch: Wij zijn 17), a collection of thirty black-and-white portraits of his friends from the Barlaeus Gymnasium and the Montessori Lyceum in Amsterdam. The project emerged from Van der Keuken’s personal photographic practice, which he began at the age of twelve after receiving a box camera. Influenced by mentor Ed van der Elsken, he decided to compile these portraits into a book that would become an early representation of youth culture in post-war Netherlands. Capturing teenagers in a moment of transition between childhood and adulthood, the project was notable for its portrayal of young people as a distinct societal group, rather than mere extensions of their parents. The photographs depict teenagers lounging in casual environments, absorbed in thought, reading, or gazing outside the frame, embodying a sense of introspection, expectation, and, at times, melancholy.
Technically, Van der Keuken used a second-hand plate camera and a Rolleicord, relying on available light to preserve the natural ambiance of his subjects' surroundings. His approach was not about capturing staged moments but rather allowing the still image to function as a kind of visual research, documenting the fleeting experiences of adolescence.
The project’s depiction of youth sparked controversy, with some critics viewing its somber tone as an exaggerated portrayal of adolescence. Letters from teenagers and parents flooded Dutch newspapers, and the project was widely discussed on radio and television. While some saw it as a critique of the era, others embraced it as an honest reflection of youth’s evolving role in society.
Its visibility grew through later reissues—most notably a revised edition in 2005 and a Japanese/English edition in 2015—and Van der Keuken’s photographs are now included in the Gallery of Honour of Dutch Photography, with his archive stewarded by the Nederlands Fotomuseum. An early milestone in his career, the book influenced subsequent photographic storytelling, serving as a precursor to Ed van der Elsken’s Love on the Left Bank and informing the work of photographers such as Helen van Meene and Martijn van de Griendt.
