Twee foto's van meisjes, onder andere aangeduid als Milly, Weltevreden 1908 - 1910

These photographs were taken by Carolina Onnen, likely in the early 20th century, and mounted in an album. Photography, even at this early date, was no longer a tremendously difficult process. What is interesting about it is the access that it gives us to another time and place. The images are mounted in such a way that they are presented almost as a collection of souvenirs. Look closely and you can see a world in which leisure time, and the record of leisure time, has become a preoccupation for this family. There is an element of performance to the photographs, too, as the subjects are dressed up and posed in a way that seems self-conscious. It's important to consider the social context of these images. They offer us a window onto the colonial world and its complex relationship to labor, class, and representation. Considering these elements helps us to understand the photographs not just as snapshots of the past, but as objects imbued with social and cultural meaning.