Straatgezicht te Kota-Radja met Atjeh-club en Hotel de l'Europe 1891 - 1894

Editor: Here we have "Straatgezicht te Kota-Radja met Atjeh-club en Hotel de l'Europe," a gelatin silver print taken sometime between 1891 and 1894 by A. Kaulfuss. It depicts a street scene, and it has a distinctly sepia tone that makes it feel distant, like looking at a forgotten world. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: That sepia, as you call it, really pulls you in, doesn't it? For me, it whispers stories of Dutch colonial influence in what is now Indonesia. Kaulfuss is presenting a very specific image: orderly, clean, with clear markers of European presence – the 'Hotel de l'Europe,' the Atjeh Club... it’s almost like a postcard. Editor: A postcard… I see what you mean. It feels staged almost, doesn't it? Did the local population interact with those European spaces? Curator: Precisely! Consider who this postcard was for. What narrative does it reinforce about the colonizers versus the colonized? Look closely—do you see any clear representations of the indigenous people beyond perhaps serving roles? And how might that limited perspective shape our understanding today? Editor: I do see them now, positioned in the periphery. I suppose it gives the impression of a certain… order and power. A curated view of colonial life, really. I initially thought it was just an old photograph. Curator: Exactly! The photographer chooses what to highlight, what to obscure. Thinking critically about these choices changes how we "read" the image, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I see so much more now than I did initially! It's amazing how much a picture can say when you know what to look for. Thanks for opening my eyes.