Contractarbeiders sorteren tabak in Soengei-Mentjirin, Sumatra c. 1890 - 1900

This photograph by Heinrich Ernst & Co shows contract workers sorting tobacco in Soengei-Mentjirin, Sumatra. It gives us a glimpse into the world of plantation labor in the Dutch East Indies. Looking closely, we see rows of workers, likely Javanese or Chinese indentured laborers, seated on the floor sorting leaves. In the background, overseers dressed in white suits stand on a raised platform, perhaps a deliberate visual expression of racial and class hierarchy in the colony. The architecture of the building itself speaks to the scale and organization of the plantation system and the ways in which human activity was regimented. This image creates a strong visual narrative of colonial power, reminding us of the economic structures that shaped social relations in Southeast Asia. Understanding this image requires that we consider the legacies of colonialism and the complex relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia. We can research archives and colonial records to reveal the stories of these workers.