Woonhuis 1890 - 1910

Otto Hisgen captured this photograph, titled 'Woonhuis,' using an early photographic process. It depicts a dwelling, most likely in the Dutch East Indies, given Hisgen's work there. The architecture suggests a colonial context, blending European and local styles. The manicured lawn and fenced perimeter hint at notions of ownership and control that were central to the colonial project. Hisgen’s photograph can be considered in light of the visual codes that supported imperial power. Images such as this served to define and represent colonial space to both European and local audiences. Consider the role of photography at the time. It became a tool for documentation and control but also, potentially, resistance. As historians, we investigate archives, travelogues, and personal accounts to understand better the complex relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. Art, like this photograph, reflects and shapes those historical dynamics.