Emmaschool 1903 - 1910

Editor: This photograph, titled "Emmaschool," was taken sometime between 1903 and 1910 by Hendrik Doijer. It seems to capture a building under construction, maybe a school given the title, and there are many people working together. What strikes me most is the depiction of labor. What's your interpretation of the scene? Curator: That's a keen observation about the depiction of labor. The construction itself, caught mid-process, becomes a powerful visual metaphor for the broader social and institutional construction of colonial society. Note how the photograph frames the act of building a school. Editor: Can you explain that further? Curator: Schools in colonial contexts were often tools for disseminating particular ideologies, and imposing cultural values. Do you see how the racialized division of labor might be implicated here? Editor: Now that you mention it, yes. The arrangement of figures implies the colonial power dynamic. Is that a deliberate comment? Curator: It's hard to say definitively what the photographer intended. But by capturing this moment, Doijer has unwittingly provided us with an image that can be read critically. What would a local person feel when they view it? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about the unintended commentary embedded in a seemingly straightforward documentary photograph. Curator: Indeed. It underscores the power of images to reflect and refract social realities, opening space for interpretations. The image certainly gave me something to think about in terms of whose narrative is at the fore of the project of 'construction'. Editor: I've certainly gained a new perspective, too!