Sumatra, contractarbeidster met Orang-Oetan c. 1890 - 1900

This photograph, titled "Sumatra, contractarbeidster met Orang-Oetan", was taken by Heinrich Ernst & Co. around 1890-1900. It depicts a woman, likely a contract laborer, from Sumatra, Indonesia, holding an orangutan on a chain. The image, now in the Rijksmuseum, offers a glimpse into the realities of colonial exploitation and the trade in exotic animals, highlighting the complex relationship between humans and animals within a colonial context.