Reede van Surabaya. 1900 - 1935

Editor: So, here we have Neville Keasberry's "Reede van Surabaya," a gelatin silver print estimated between 1900 and 1935. The image, with this double-view stereoscopic format, shows a bustling harbor scene. It's a very active photograph, visually. What strikes you when you look at this, from your perspective? Curator: Well, let's consider the production of this image. Gelatin silver prints allowed for mass reproduction, indicating this wasn't necessarily intended as a singular, precious art object, but rather as a commodity meant for wider consumption. And its “orientalist” style catered to a specific European gaze, reinforcing certain power dynamics of the era. Consider the ships, for instance – what are they transporting? Who profits from this trade? Editor: That’s fascinating. I was focusing on the aesthetic qualities, the water, the busy port scene. But you're drawing my attention to the implied labor, the movement of goods, and the colonial context of Java at this time. So, it's not just about the picturesque harbor, but also the systems of exchange that harbor enables? Curator: Precisely! The photograph, as an object, becomes a document of this system. We must ask ourselves how the production and circulation of images like these contributed to, and profited from, colonial enterprises. Even the stereoscopic format—created for entertainment—implicates the viewer in this dynamic. What are we *doing* when we look? What's being made visible, and what remains obscured? Editor: This has totally shifted my perception. I now see layers of economic and colonial activity embedded in the photographic materials and imagery. It makes you wonder about the people who labored to make this all function and whose stories are maybe hidden. Curator: Exactly. By examining the means of production, distribution, and consumption, we uncover a more complex narrative beyond the purely visual appeal. Hopefully we both can dive deeper now into similar materials in the future.