Nederlands schip in een dok van de Tanjong Pagar Dock Co. Ltd. in Singapore before 1905

This photograph shows a Dutch ship in the docks of Singapore, taken by G.R. Lambert & Co. The image encapsulates a time of intense colonial activity, most obviously through the Dutch flag flying on the stern. Singapore, while under British control, was a crucial trading post, and the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company facilitated naval activity and merchant shipping. The photograph serves as a visual record of Dutch naval presence in the region, asserting their colonial power and global reach. Ships like this one were essential to maintaining trade routes, protecting colonial interests, and projecting military strength. Images like this were often circulated to promote national pride and legitimize colonial ventures back home. To understand the photograph fully, we’d want to research the history of the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company and the specific role of Dutch naval forces in Southeast Asia. This would help reveal the complex network of economic and political relationships at play during this period.