personenreeks

personenreeks is a Dutch term used to describe a series or collection that centers on people. The word combines persoon (person) and reeks (series), and in English contexts it is often rendered as “person series” or “series of individuals.” The concept appears in multiple domains, including archives, visual arts, and media.

In archives and libraries, een personenreeks refers to a named or labeled sequence of records that document several individuals connected by a common theme, project, or biographical interest. Such a series may contain correspondence, biographical notes, or documentary material about multiple persons, organized to facilitate comparative study or biographical research.

In the visual arts and photography, a personenreeks can denote a sequence of portraits or images featuring different people. The individuals are presented together to explore a shared subject, demographic, or social context, often emphasizing diversity, similarity, or progression.

In film, journalism, and literature, the term may describe a narrative or editorial arrangement that centers on a set of characters linked by relationships, events, or thematic concerns. A personenreeks can also refer to a recurring cast across episodes or installments in a work.

Characteristics of a personenreeks include its relational or thematic organizing principle and its scope, which varies by discipline and institution. It is distinct from a single-biography collection or a standalone portrait, though overlaps can occur.

See also: portretreeks (portrait series), biografische reeks (biographical series), archival series.