Plantage Accaribo 1913 - 1930

Theodoor Brouwers made this photograph, "Plantage Accaribo," at an unknown date, using the silver gelatin process. What’s fascinating is how a seemingly straightforward medium like photography can reveal so much about labor, colonialism, and consumption. Brouwers, using glass plate negatives coated with light-sensitive silver halides, captured images of the Accaribo plantation, likely in Suriname. The choice of photography itself speaks volumes. It was a technology embraced by colonial powers for documentation and control. The meticulous process of developing these images in a darkroom, using chemicals to fix the image, mirrors the careful extraction of resources from the land. The photograph’s subdued tones, the textures of the foliage, and the very act of capturing this scene all contribute to its significance. It encourages us to consider the conditions of labor and the ecological impact inherent in plantation economies, urging us to look beyond the surface of the image and to examine the deeper implications of its making.