Triple Compound Machine van HM SS Sumbawa 1892

The Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde built this image of the Triple Compound Machine van HM SS Sumbawa in 1890. The photographic print captures the ship in exquisite detail, the result of precise darkroom work. Photography, like shipbuilding, transformed labor and production in the nineteenth century. The image here is as much about the vessel itself as it is about the means of its representation and circulation. Photography allowed for industrial products to be standardized and marketed, playing a vital role in the expansion of capitalism, and enabling the company to showcase its engineering prowess. Notice the way the light plays across the surfaces of the ship. The sharp focus renders the texture of the ship’s hull and rigging, indicative of skilled labor. Consider the amount of work involved in both constructing the ship and producing this image. By focusing on the materiality and processes behind the photograph, we recognize its significance in shaping industrial culture and the era of global trade.