Spoor- en voetgangersbrug bij Kamp Tengah op Sumatra met op de achtergrond een trein bij een station c. 1900 - 1920

Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis captured this photograph of a railway and pedestrian bridge near Kamp Tengah in Sumatra. The image, now held at the Rijksmuseum, offers us a glimpse into the complexities of Dutch colonial Indonesia. The bridge, a symbol of modernity and industrial progress, cuts through a landscape that speaks to the rich, natural environment of Sumatra. The train in the background suggests a narrative of resource extraction. Notice how the bridge itself becomes a point of connection—or perhaps, a point of division. Consider the laborers who built the bridge, their lives intricately linked to the colonial project, and how their stories are woven into this landscape. What did progress mean for them? This photograph asks us to consider the human cost of industrial advancement and the legacy of colonialism, inviting us to reflect on the layers of history embedded in this seemingly simple landscape.