Contractarbeiders sorteren tabak op de onderneming Bekioen, Sumatra c. 1890 - 1900

Heinrich Ernst & Co captured this photograph of contract laborers sorting tobacco at the Bekioen enterprise in Sumatra. The image provides a glimpse into the lives of workers within the Dutch East Indies, a period marked by colonial exploitation and economic restructuring. Here, gender and class intersect starkly, as women laborers are seated on the floor sorting leaves under the supervision of European men, who stand tall in clean white suits. This visual arrangement underscores the power dynamics inherent in the colonial system, reflecting the racial hierarchies that shaped everyday life. The photograph offers an emotional testament to the labor and exploitation that fueled the colonial economy. It's a moment frozen in time, which invites us to reflect on the human cost of global trade and the enduring legacies of colonialism.