In het immigrantendepot 1891

Gomez Burke captured this image, titled 'In het immigrantendepot,' with a camera at an unknown date. The photograph shows a group of Indian immigrants standing in front of a wooden building, presumably the titular immigrant depot. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of colonialism. The immigrants are dressed in simple, traditional clothing, while the European official stands out in his uniform and pith helmet. This contrast highlights the power dynamic between colonizer and colonized. The photograph documents the system of indentured labor, known as the "coolie" trade, which brought Indian workers to various parts of the world, including Suriname, where Gomez Burke worked. This image may reflect the complicated politics of imagery in colonial contexts. Was it intended as propaganda, or did it critique the exploitative conditions of indentured labor? Historians can gain greater insight into the artwork by researching the photographer's biography and studying the social and political history of Suriname during the period in which the image was created.