Port Said c. 1900 - 1910

Henricus Jacobus Tollens made this photograph, titled "Port Said," during an era of intense global transformation. The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed unprecedented industrial expansion and colonial ambitions. Tollens' photograph captures a dredging operation, likely related to maintaining or expanding the Suez Canal. This monumental project connected the East and West, facilitating trade and solidifying European power. However, we must also consider the human cost. The canal's construction relied on forced labor, primarily from Egyptian workers, who faced harsh conditions and immense suffering. Consider how the photograph is not merely a neutral document. It participates in a narrative of progress that often obscures exploitation and inequality. Reflect on how such images, while showcasing technological achievement, can also serve as a reminder of the complex, and often troubling, relationship between progress, power, and human dignity.