Brug over de Soengei Djankok bij Ampenan tijdens de Lombok-expeditie 1894 before 1898

Christiaan Johan Neeb made this photograph of a bridge over the Soengei Djankok river near Ampenan during the Lombok expedition, in 1894. This image offers a glimpse into a chapter of Dutch colonial expansion. Neeb, as a photographer, was both a recorder and a participant in this history. The photograph depicts a serene scene, but it is crucial to remember that it documents an act of military intervention. Reflected in the water is the march of armed forces whose presence irrevocably altered the lives and sovereignty of the people of Lombok. Consider the power dynamics at play here. The photograph subtly emphasizes the imbalance of power between the colonizers and the colonized, inviting us to reflect on the complex relationship between observer and observed, power and vulnerability.