Spoorbrug in Belawan, Sumatra (Eisenbahnbrücke in S. Belawan) c. 1885 - 1900

Curator: This photograph, taken somewhere between 1885 and 1900, captures the "Spoorbrug in Belawan, Sumatra" which translates to "Railway bridge in Belawan, Sumatra". The photographer is Carl J. Kleingrothe and the print you're seeing here is a gelatin-silver print. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the almost melancholic stillness of the scene. It feels so remote, like stepping into a forgotten moment in time. That low, misty horizon and the glassy river amplify the solitude. It’s quite haunting, really. Curator: It’s a potent visual representation of colonialism and technological advancement, seen through an Orientalist lens. The bridge signifies the imposition of Western infrastructure upon the Indonesian landscape. How does the presence of people inform the image? Editor: The people in the boat ground the picture. Their presence is very human amid all of this cold steel and ordered structure of the bridge. Do you notice the strange light illuminating their figures in contrast to the very muted bridge? Curator: Absolutely. I think it’s fascinating how photography was wielded as both a documentary tool and a means of aestheticizing the colonial project. This image operates on multiple layers, showcasing technological progress while subtly reinforcing power dynamics. The composition guides our eye along the rigid bridge into the flat and seemingly never-ending landscape. The bridge is visually "swallowing up" Sumatra, if that makes sense. Editor: I hadn't quite thought of it like that, swallowing Sumatra... Yeah, that does make sense. To me, the beauty and sense of stillness outweigh those things, but I totally get that there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. Kleingrothe is asking us to unpack some stuff. Curator: Precisely. It makes me consider the ethics of looking—what do we choose to see and how does our perspective influence our interpretation? Editor: And maybe even more simply, the reminder to think about the baggage our beautiful views and images carry, literally. Curator: Very true! An important and vital observation.