Pagina 123 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph of Sumatran rubber plantation workers was taken by J.W. Meyster, sometime in the early 20th century. It is one page from a photo album commissioned by the AVROS, a powerful association of rubber planters. The image shows labourers loading crates of tea. The soft, grainy texture of the early photographic print emphasizes the weight of those blocks, and the amount of labor required to harvest and transport them. It speaks to a colonial system dependent on manual work. Photography at this time was a complex process, involving the preparation of glass plates, darkroom chemicals, and careful attention to lighting and composition. Here, that technology is deployed as a tool of institutional power, creating a record of productivity that elides the human cost. This album is not just a collection of pretty pictures. It’s a document of a specific economic system, and a demonstration of the critical importance of considering the material conditions of production when interpreting any artwork.