Versierde erepoort bij het paleis van de gouverneur in Paramaribo ter gelegenheid van het 25-jarig regeringsjubileum van koningin Wilhelmina c. 1923 - 1929

This photograph was taken by Augusta Curiel in Paramaribo. It depicts the decorated archway at the Governor's Palace, celebrating Queen Wilhelmina's 25th year on the throne. The image itself is a product of Curiel's mastery of photographic craft. But consider the labor involved in creating the arch itself: the carpentry to construct the frame, the weaving and sewing of the fabric drapes. Then there is the gathering and arranging of the garlands, likely made of local plant material. This labor, largely unseen, is critical to the image’s social significance. While the photograph celebrates Dutch royalty, the arch is testament to Surinamese craft traditions. It brings the visual language of European triumphal arches to a local context, demonstrating a hybridity of skill and aesthetics. The arch is a powerful reminder that displays of power are always the result of many hands. It asks us to consider the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized.