Huifkarren 1863 - 1869

Woodbury & Page captured this albumen print titled "Huifkarren." The image presents covered wagons, known as 'huifkarren,' likely in the Dutch East Indies. During this colonial period, photography served not only as a means of documentation, but also as a tool for shaping perceptions of the colonized world. Woodbury & Page, as commercial photographers, played a role in constructing and disseminating images that often reinforced colonial power structures. The huifkarren themselves evoke questions of labor, trade, and mobility within the colonial context. Who were the people using these wagons, and for what purposes? The photograph invites us to consider the complex social dynamics and power relations at play. It is a visual record and a silent witness to the lives and experiences of those living under colonial rule. What stories do you think these wagons could tell?