Bezoek aan de Suikeronderneming Beran 1886

This photograph, "Bezoek aan de Suikeronderneming Beran", was created by Kassian Céphas, a Javanese photographer who lived and worked in the Dutch East Indies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The image offers us a glimpse into the colonial landscape of Java, depicting a sugar plantation with three figures in the foreground. Céphas, as a photographer of Javanese descent, occupied a unique position, navigating the complex social and political dynamics of the colonial era. His work provides a visual record of the Dutch East Indies, capturing both the imposing structures of colonial industry and the subtle nuances of Javanese life. The figures in the image, possibly overseers or landowners, are seen observing the landscape, subtly emphasizing the power dynamics inherent in the colonial system. By framing the sugar plantation through his lens, Céphas invites us to reflect on the economic and social transformations that shaped the region, while simultaneously asserting his own presence and perspective within that historical context. It is a scene of serenity and exploitation, and Céphas makes us feel both.