Kantoorgebouw en spoorwegemplacement bij suikerfabriek Boedoeran in Sidoarjo op Java c. 1925 - 1930

This photograph by Isken captures the office building and railway yard at the Boedoeran sugar factory in Sidoarjo, Java. Look closely, and you’ll notice the textures of the colonial architecture: the repetitive geometry of the window openings, the decorative balustrade, and the tiled roof. But these are not just aesthetic choices. They also speak volumes about the materials and labor regimes of the time. The sugar cane that was grown, harvested, and processed here would have been transported by railway. The image encapsulates the scale of industrial production, and the intricate relationship between colonial power, resource extraction, and global trade. Consider the labor needed to produce the raw materials of the building: the mining of stone, the harvesting of timber, and the manufacture of glass. And the labor that was involved in constructing the factory itself. All this human effort, captured in a single frame. Ultimately, this photograph isn't just a historical record, it’s a testament to the profound social and economic forces that shaped the landscape.