One of the most prominent and influential post-war Dutch photographers, Ed van der Elsken (1925–1990) captured his vision of the world, humanity, and his own life in a raw and direct style, driven by relentless curiosity and invention. The photographer internalised and cultivated his own image as a provocateur and a maverick. Published to accompany a large retrospective at the Rijksmuseum, this volume offers a unique survey of a diverse oeuvre that spans more than 40 years. Alongside his iconic images, it contains a wealth of unpublished materials from his professional archive, best described as an organised chaos containing contact sheets, letters, book designs, and more.