Pamanoekan en Tjiassemlanden / Brug van 32 Meter spanning voor zwaar smalspoorverkeer 1916 - 1924

This black and white photograph titled ‘Pamanoekan en Tjiassemlanden / Brug van 32 Meter spanning voor zwaar smalspoorverkeer’ comes to us anonymously. The image presents a bridge under construction somewhere in Pamanoekan in Tjiassemlanden. The photograph gives us insight into the exploitation of Indonesian resources and labor by the Dutch during their colonial rule. Men, likely local laborers, are captured amidst the industrial skeleton of what would become a crucial piece of infrastructure for resource extraction. There is a stark contrast between the imposing metal structure and the human figures, who seem dwarfed and almost consumed by the industrial project. This visual dynamic encapsulates the broader imbalance of power inherent in colonial relationships, where indigenous populations were often reduced to labor units within a larger economic framework. The photograph serves as both a historical record and a silent testament to the human cost of colonial ambition. It prompts us to consider the lived experiences of those whose efforts physically built the infrastructure of empire.