Blad 72 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1935 - 1939

This is page 72 from the register of students at the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague between 1930-1949. The page presents a grid-like structure of handwritten text and affixed photographs, offering a glimpse into the lives of young women preparing for roles in the Dutch colonies. The composition employs a stark contrast between the uniformity of the bureaucratic layout and the individuality expressed through the photographs and handwriting. Each entry adheres to a rigid structure, yet the personal signatures and snapshots introduce elements of the unique identities of each student. We can see this as a semiotic system in which the formal elements represent institutional control, while the photographs and handwriting offer a more personal narrative. The photographs, small and square, are like windows into other worlds, each capturing a moment in the sitter's life. Consider how the formal structure of the page, with its lines and columns, tries to contain or classify these individual stories. This contrast destabilizes the notion of a fixed identity, highlighting the tension between institutional categorization and the fluid, complex nature of individual experience.