Huizen aan een rivier 1863 - 1869

Woodbury & Page produced this photograph of houses along a river in Indonesia using the wet collodion process. The image offers a glimpse into the domestic life of Indonesia under Dutch colonial rule. The photograph creates meaning through its visual codes and historical associations. The presence of traditional dwellings alongside figures dressed in what appears to be Western attire suggests a society undergoing cultural transformation. The scene might have been captured to romanticize and exoticize this colonial context for European audiences, subtly reinforcing notions of Western superiority and the necessity of colonial governance. To truly understand this image, historians consult archives, personal letters, and colonial records, piecing together the complex web of power, trade, and cultural exchange that defined the relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia. The meaning of this photograph is contingent on its social and institutional context.