Groote Boom aan het Havenkanaal te Batavia 1863

This photograph of the Groote Boom on the Havenkanaal in Batavia was made by Woodbury & Page using the wet collodion process. This early photographic technique involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and developing it immediately. The resulting image, printed on albumen paper, has a distinctive tonal range and incredible detail – just look at the rigging of the ships, and the reflections in the water! But beyond its technical qualities, the photograph also speaks to the labor and trade of the time. The crowded waterway shows the bustling port of Batavia, now Jakarta, a key hub for the Dutch East India Company. The photograph immortalizes the infrastructure of global commerce, and the many hands involved in its workings. By considering both the meticulous craft of the photographer and the busy realities of colonial trade, we gain a richer understanding of this historical image.