Blad 34 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1925

This page comes from a ledger made at the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague, sometime between 1921 and 1929. The anonymous maker used ink on paper to document students through the careful inscription of names, places, and dates. What strikes me most is the way that text and image are combined here. Look at the column on the right, each student is represented by a miniature photograph pasted directly onto the page. These visual markers are so small and unassuming, yet they carry so much weight. The contrast between the handwritten text and the mechanically reproduced images opens a space between the individual and the institution. The handwritten signatures possess a graphic quality, becoming almost like abstract marks on the page. The ink bleeds and pools in certain areas, revealing the texture of the paper and the hand of the writer. I'm reminded of the work of On Kawara, another artist who used repetition, dates, and language to create a personal record of time and place. Ultimately, this page becomes more than just a record; it is a testament to the power of art to transform the mundane into something meaningful.