Emmaschool 1903 - 1910

Editor: So, here we have "Emmaschool" by Hendrik Doijer, a cyanotype photograph taken sometime between 1903 and 1910. The monochromatic blue gives the image a kind of dreamy, historical feel. What stands out to you? Curator: The choice of cyanotype, beyond its aesthetic qualities, speaks volumes about access and representation in that era. This image offers an important perspective on colonial education, and how knowledge was being disseminated, or not, in places like Suriname where Doijer lived and worked. I wonder, who had access to this school? And what kind of education were they receiving? Editor: That’s a great point! I hadn't considered the educational disparities of the time. Do you think the composition offers any clues? Curator: Absolutely. Notice the people positioned around the school: their dress, their placement. Who is centered, and who is on the periphery? What does it suggest about the power dynamics inherent in the colonial system? The school is very close to the viewer, however, we only see the people who likely attend the school from a distance. Editor: So, by looking at this image through a social lens, we're not just seeing a building; we’re seeing a visual document of the values, inequalities, and lived realities of that specific colonial context? Curator: Precisely! And understanding the limitations and biases of the photographic medium itself is key. Who controlled the camera? Whose story was being told, and whose was being left out? Those are vital questions to consider. Editor: I see how this cyanotype is much more than a historical landscape. I’ll definitely keep those critical questions in mind moving forward! Curator: Exactly. Every brushstroke, every photograph, is a political statement, even if unintentional. Analyzing it with intention can help show light to a perspective not thought of before.