Sandels brug, Tandjong Poera, Sumatra (Sandelbrücke, Tandjong Poera) 1898 - 1900

This albumen print, “Sandelbrug, Tandjong Poera, Sumatra”, was made by the firm Heinrich Ernst & Co. The image captures a bridge in Sumatra, Indonesia, likely built to facilitate the transport of goods. What's interesting is that the photograph itself also participated in the colonial project. In the 19th century, photography was not just an artistic medium, but also a tool of documentation and control. Companies like Heinrich Ernst & Co. produced images that served to catalogue and promote the resources and infrastructure of colonized lands. Consider the labor involved, from the construction of the bridge, which provided infrastructure for colonial trade, to the making of the photograph itself. The albumen printing process was labor-intensive, requiring skilled technicians to prepare the paper and develop the image. By considering the materials and processes behind this image, we can appreciate its complex relationship to the history of colonialism, labor, and the global circulation of goods and images.