Blad 29 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1931 - 1937

This ledger page comes from a register made in The Hague between 1930 and 1949, its maker is anonymous. This leaf from a student record book is a beautiful example of everyday bookbinding: paper carefully ruled and inscribed in ink, and bound into a codex. However, the careful script and added portrait photographs, pasted into the book with what looks like meticulous care, transform this object into something more than a mere bureaucratic document. Think of the labour involved in creating this register, from the paper-making and printing of the book itself, to the handwriting and photographic processes. All of these processes involved human hands and skills, and each stage in the book's creation had its social and cultural significance. Considered alongside the contents of the book – a register of women trained for colonial service – this leaf opens up a whole world of historical, material and social enquiry. It reminds us that even the most functional objects can tell us a great deal about past lives, labor and modes of production.