Pagina 149 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

J.W. Meyster made this photograph, titled 'Page 149 from the photo book of the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra' in the early 20th century. It depicts a coconut plantation with workers in the distance, a seemingly innocuous scene. But let's consider the context: Sumatra was then part of the Dutch East Indies, a colony exploited for its resources. The General Association of Rubber Planters, or AVROS, was an organization representing the interests of Dutch plantation owners. Plantations like these relied on cheap labor, often under exploitative conditions. So this image, likely intended to showcase the success and order of the colonial enterprise, also reveals the social structures of its time. The very act of documenting these plantations through photography served to reinforce the colonial narrative. To fully understand this image, we need to delve into the archives, examine colonial records, and listen to the voices of those who lived and worked on these plantations. Art history, after all, is intertwined with social and institutional history.