Thee sorteren in een fabriekshal. 1900 - 1935

Neville Keasberry captured this stereoscopic photograph, ‘Thee sorteren in een fabriekshal’, which translates to 'Sorting Tea in a Factory Hall' some time before 1944. It offers a glimpse into the labor practices within the Dutch East Indies. The photograph depicts workers, some kneeling, sorting tea leaves in what appears to be a colonial-era factory. The arrangement of the workers, alongside visible machinery, speaks volumes about the economic structures of the time, highlighting the racialized division of labor inherent in colonial systems. Keasberry, as an Indo-European photographer, occupied a complex position within this social hierarchy. His perspective may offer insights into the dynamics of identity and representation within the colonial context. This image makes me wonder: what was Keasberry's intent in capturing this scene, and how did his own identity shape the narrative?