Fotoalbum met zestig foto's van tabaks- en koffieplantages op Sumatra, Indonesië c. 1890 - 1900

This is a photo album containing sixty photographs of tobacco and coffee plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia, by Heinrich Ernst & Co. The album presents a stark, almost severe, visual field. The cover is dominated by a dark, textured surface which is unrelieved by ornamentation or color. The texture, which seems to be a close weave, draws the eye in, creating a play of light and shadow that articulates its surface. The album's design emphasizes functionality and containment. The dark cover acts as a shell, a structure that both protects and conceals. This raises questions about what is inside, suggesting the contents are precious or, perhaps, that their meaning is carefully controlled. The absence of decoration invites reflection on the images within and the historical narratives they construct. It is through this very lack that the album prompts us to consider the semiotic weight of its contents and their broader implications.