Washing lines captured on camera

The sight of flapping underwear and colourful shirts dangling on a clothesline has become rare in the Western world.

In the rest of the world, however, washing lines still liven up the streetscape. Author and publisher Marieke Cambeen collected photos of the phenomenon and gathered them in her book, Clotheslines, the binding factor.

She began collecting photos after seeing a weblog showing pictures of washing lines. They show that drying one’s laundry is universal, but that every culture has its own way of doing it.

What struck her was that there are countries where clotheslines are not in public view. In some American states they are banned, or people are mainly using electric dryers. That’s a pity, according to Marieke Cambeen: “Dryers use a lot of energy. Using lines is more sustainable, and a line full of flapping clothes never fails to cheer me up.”

In order to get the book onto the market Marieke Cambeen founded her own publishing house, appropriately named Tendedero: washing line in Spanish.