Pagina 61 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph, found on page 61 of J.W. Meyster’s photo book of the Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters, shows buildings with stark, pointed roofs, set against the tropical landscape of Sumatra's East Coast. These structures present a powerful image that harkens back to the architecture of Northern Europe and even echoes the shape of gabled houses in medieval towns. But here, they stand in stark contrast to their surroundings, alien forms imposed upon the landscape. These archetypal images, rooted deep in our cultural psyche, connect us to a collective past. Yet here in Sumatra, these buildings also reflect a psychological assertion of dominance of a colonial power, an attempt to transpose a familiar order onto a foreign land. This photograph reveals a tension between cultural memory and colonial ambition, a complex interplay of power, identity, and place.