Blad 157 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) c. 1949

This ledger page, ‘Blad 157’, comes from a ‘Stamboek’ or register of students at the Colonial School for Girls and Women in the Hague, dating from sometime between 1930 and 1949. The page is visually structured as a grid, each cell containing handwritten entries regarding the women who studied at this school, a few signatures, and one photographic portrait. The grid format itself is a compelling visual framework that presents a system of organization and control, categorizing individuals within strict parameters. The handwriting, though consistent in style, introduces slight variations—a subtle assertion of individuality within a structured environment. The single portrait disrupts the uniformity of the script, adding a human element to the otherwise clinical data. Considering this page as a whole, one can read it as a semiotic field where the handwritten text and the stark black and white image function as signs. The arrangement of these elements speaks to the historical context of colonial education and the representation of women within that system. The page operates not just as a record but as a cultural artifact that embodies the complex interactions of identity, education, and colonial administration.