Hindostaanse contractarbeiders in het immigrantendepot 1903 - 1910

Hendrik Doijer made this cyanotype photograph titled 'Hindustani Contract Workers in the Immigrant Depot'. It shows a group of people in what was known as a ‘coolie depot’. The term 'coolie'—offensive today—referred to indentured laborers, often from India, who were contracted to work in various colonial territories, including Suriname, where Doijer was active. The image captures a moment within the institutional process of colonial labor migration. Doijer’s image might seem like a straightforward document, but we have to ask: what does it conceal? Who commissioned it, and what purpose did it serve? Was it intended as a record, a tool for colonial administration, or something else? The photo's existence speaks to the complex social and economic structures of the Dutch colonial system and its reliance on indentured labor. Historical research, including archival documents, personal accounts, and postcolonial analysis, can help us to unpack the power dynamics embedded within this seemingly simple image.