Gezicht op een moskee in Bindjai Lankat, Sumatra c. 1890 - 1900

Editor: So this is “Gezicht op een moskee in Bindjai Lankat, Sumatra,” taken between 1890 and 1900, by Heinrich Ernst & Co. It’s a photograph of a mosque. I’m really struck by how serene it feels, almost otherworldly, even in monochrome. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: It’s the juxtaposition of the stark, almost geometric, architecture against the backdrop of untamed nature. You know, photography in that era often presented a very… curated version of reality, trying to impose order. Here, though, the mosque seems almost softened, embraced by the landscape. Does that tension resonate with you at all? The ordered versus the wild? Editor: I hadn't thought of it like that, but now that you mention it, definitely. The rigid lines of the building kind of melt into the swaying palms. Curator: Exactly! And think about what a photograph like this would represent to viewers back then. Sumatra would have felt incredibly remote, exotic even. It's like they’re saying, “Look, we’re documenting this distant, intriguing place for you.” Did they succeed at all, making Sumatra look distant or intriguing to you? Editor: Absolutely. I almost feel transported, even with the grainy image quality. I wonder if that was part of their intention. Curator: Possibly. And I think that it speaks volumes that it's survived so long – still provoking thought and a desire to explore, eh? Editor: Definitely. I’m starting to think differently about colonial photography now – less about sterile record-keeping and more about storytelling. Curator: Precisely, and isn't it delightful when a still image begins to tell a thousand stories?