Betonijzeren reservoir Peperpot 1891

This photograph, titled 'Betonijzeren reservoir Peperpot' by Gomez Burke, captures a moment of labor and community. While the exact date is unknown, its imagery speaks volumes about the historical context of labor, race, and class. The photograph shows three men constructing what the title indicates is a reinforced concrete reservoir. Their dress and demeanor suggest laborers, possibly working on a plantation. The image quietly speaks to the history of indentured labor in places like Suriname, where people of Asian and African descent worked on plantations under harsh conditions. It invites us to think about the intersections of race, class, and labor, and the personal stories of the individuals depicted. The photograph doesn't offer a romanticized view of progress but instead presents a raw, unadorned scene of work. In looking, consider the unseen hands and untold stories embedded in the creation of infrastructure, and its impact on the social and economic structures of the time.