Interieur van de fermenteerschuur Aneta Mineh, contractarbeiders in de sorteerruimte Helvetia, Sumatra 1889 - 1900

This albumen print, made by Carl J. Kleingrothe, shows the interior of the Aneta Mineh fermenting shed with contract laborers in the sorting room of Helvetia, Sumatra. The image’s sepia tones, created through chemical processes, are a stark contrast to the hard labor depicted. Look closely and you'll see workers sorting tobacco leaves, a repetitive task demanding skilled hands and unwavering focus. The sheer volume of product speaks to the global demand for tobacco and to the industrial processes that supported it. The building's structure, with its beams and rows of windows, seems to reinforce the relentless, monotonous nature of the work, as do the seemingly endless rows of labourers seated along the factory windows. In appreciating this photograph, we must acknowledge the labor that shaped not only the tobacco, but also the image itself, and the difficult social context of its making. It invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of craft, industry, and global consumption.