Nederlandsch-Indië onder de Japansche bezetting 1944

This book cover, created in London during the Second World War, advertises H.J. van Mook’s speeches on Radio Oranje about the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. Van Mook was the Dutch Minister of Colonies, broadcasting to occupied territories from exile. This cover embodies the politics of imagery, using text to project authority and resistance. The stark typography and orange color evoke Dutch national identity and defiance against the Japanese. Printed in London, the book underlines the Allied effort to maintain a global presence and moral high ground. Understanding this cover requires a grasp of wartime propaganda, Dutch colonial history, and the role of exiled governments. Sources like radio archives and colonial office records reveal how such images were crucial in maintaining morale and shaping post-war expectations. The meaning of this cover is thus contingent on understanding the social and institutional contexts of its production and reception.