Dam met cacaoboomen op Tourtonne 1903 - 1910

Hendrik Doijer made this photograph, Dam met cacaoboomen op Tourtonne, using the wet collodion process. It's a complex procedure where a glass plate is coated, sensitized, exposed, and developed, all before the collodion dries. The photograph's stark monochrome palette influences our perception, highlighting the dense, almost claustrophobic arrangement of the cocoa trees. The process of wet collodion, demanding immediate development, ties this image to a specific moment and place. Each chemical interaction on the plate, from the silver nitrate sensitizing to the development, contributes to the final image's texture and tone. What sets Doijer's work apart is how it captures the cocoa plantation. It prompts us to reflect on the socio-economic implications tied to cocoa, connecting the simple act of photography to larger narratives of labor, trade, and consumption. Thinking about the photograph's material and the laborious process involved, allows us to consider its broader social context, questioning any perceived divide between fine art and the realities of everyday life.