Pagina 65 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph is page 65 from a photo book by J.W. Meyster, commissioned by the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra. The photo book was intended to document and promote the rubber industry in Sumatra, then part of the Dutch East Indies. Here, we see the interior of a smokehouse, where rubber was processed. The photograph gives us a glimpse into the labor-intensive processes involved in rubber production. It also raises questions about the socio-economic context of the time, the exploitation of land and labor, and the impact on local communities. What stories does this image not tell? Consider how the pursuit of resources like rubber shaped colonial relationships, and how the lives of local populations were affected by these industries. Think about the complex layers of history, power, and human experience embedded in this seemingly straightforward image.