Pagina 16 en 17 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This is page 16 and 17 from a photo book by J.W. Meyster documenting the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra, though the book’s exact date is unknown. Meyster's image captures a building, likely an administrative center or accommodation, set against the backdrop of a rubber plantation. The photograph, like the book itself, underscores the complex interplay of colonialism, economic exploitation, and cultural representation. Sumatra's landscape was transformed by Dutch colonial enterprises into a site of resource extraction, with rubber plantations becoming emblematic of this transformation. The photo book served to promote the interests and activities of the Association, reinforcing colonial power structures while obscuring the exploitative labor practices that sustained the industry. Understanding the historical context and the institutional forces at play, we can explore archives, colonial records, and plantation documents, gaining deeper insight into the social conditions and power dynamics that shaped both the production of rubber and its visual representation.