BLANSJAAR , NETHERLANDS 3rd April, 1959 (REUTERS)
Competitors opening their sealed bags of potatoes and starting to peel.

Different shots of competitors at work, with close-ups of some of them.

Close-up of stopwatch stopped at 4 mins. 21 secs. -- young Grietje's winning time.

Weighing of peeled potatoes and of peelings.

Grietje ter Maer is garlanded by the wife of the Burgomaster of Valkenburg.

The prize -- the Gold potato.
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Background: Visnews cameras filmed about 60 Dutch women and girls competing in a "national potato peeling championship" at Valkenburg in southern Holland on Friday, 3rd April. The youngest competitor was 11 years old, the eldest 63.

Each competitor was given a sealed bag containing 1500 grams (about 3 lb. 5 cs.) of potatoes. Points were awarded not only for speed of peeling but also for thinness of peeling -- the latter skill was judged by weighing the peelings.

To everyone's surprise the winner was the youngest competitor, 11-year-old Grietje ter Maer. She peeled her potatoes in the astonishingly short time of 4 minutes 21 seconds and her peelings weighed 315 grams (approximately 13 oz.). Her prizes were a potato modelled in gold and a garland of spring flowers.