Militairen, portretten en landschap 1863 - 1866

This is a page from an album of photographs, created by Woodbury & Page. The silver gelatin prints are a stark reminder of the labor and resources involved in colonial expansion. Consider the process of creating these images. Each one would have required careful preparation, from coating the glass plates with light-sensitive emulsion to the precise timing of exposure and development. This was slow, skilled work, far removed from the instantaneity of modern photography. The creation of photographic albums also speaks to the industrial processes of mass production and their distribution to a growing consumer market. The photographs themselves depict scenes of military presence, portraits, and landscapes in the Dutch East Indies. There is a clear power dynamic at play, with the sitters carefully posed to convey a sense of authority and control. These images are testaments to the labor, politics, and consumption that fueled colonial projects. They challenge any separation between craft and fine art, and invite us to reflect on how these photographs have imbued social and cultural significance.