View of the Gambir Estate c. 1885 - 1900

Carl Kleingrothe’s photograph shows the Gambir Estate somewhere in the Dutch East Indies, likely in the early 20th century. It was a time when photography served colonial interests. The image presents a seemingly neutral view of the landscape, but we have to consider what it leaves out. The perfectly aligned rows of crops and the orderly buildings in the background reflect the colonial project of organizing and controlling the land for economic gain. The solitary figure in the foreground gives scale to the vast plantation, but also reminds us of the human labor that made it possible. Where are the voices and experiences of the workers, the indigenous people whose lives were transformed by colonial agriculture? Understanding this photograph requires that we consult historical documents, colonial archives, and the oral histories of those who lived and worked on plantations. This will allow us to develop a more complex understanding of the social conditions that shaped this image.