Werknemers in het verdamp- en kookstation van suikerfabriek Meritjan te Kediri op Java c. 1925 - 1930

Editor: So this gelatin silver print, taken sometime between 1925 and 1930, shows workers inside the Meritjan sugar factory in Kediri, Java. The composition feels very industrial, almost oppressive. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I see a temple, not in a religious sense, but as a monument to industry. Look at how the light falls on those enormous cylindrical structures – they evoke pillars, almost deities, presiding over the workers. Notice how small the human figures are compared to the machinery. Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn’t thought of it that way. The workers almost blend into the background. Curator: Precisely. Consider the symbolism of sugar itself. Once a luxury, it became a commodity fueled by colonial labor. This image captures a specific moment in that history. It presents this mechanical perspective where the men were one of many cogs. Do you see a connection with our own cultural associations and colonial history? Editor: I do. The photograph initially feels very matter-of-fact, but knowing it captures a piece of colonial history casts the symbolism of the machinery in a different light. Curator: Yes, it reflects the cultural memory of that time. The machines are more than just tools; they are symbols of a specific power structure and global trade at a time when people were the fuel to industrial throughput. This factory scene thus, carries a tremendous weight. Editor: This has totally changed how I perceive the photograph. I initially missed those layers of meaning, but now I see how the photo preserves history, but carries so much emotional weight and insight, too. Curator: Absolutely, we often overlook the silent stories that images carry, bridging us to the past. They capture not just what was seen, but what was felt.