Blad 96 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1929

This page from the “Register of Students of the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague” was made in nineteen-forties, give or take, by an anonymous somebody. I’m struck by the contrast between the formal penmanship and the personal quality of the signatures and the photographs that accompany each name. Imagine the weight of history, the stories of these women intertwined with the legacy of colonialism. You get the sense that the penmanship is all about control, while the photos feel raw and full of the unpredictable nature of memory and human connection. It's like a quiet, thoughtful conversation. The surface, aged and worn, carries the weight of time, just like any good painting holds traces of its making. Each mark tells a story, whispering secrets of the past, while also inviting us to consider how we got here.