Geasfalteerde bergweg op Java. 1900 - 1935

Editor: This is a stereoscopic photograph, an albumen print titled "Geasfalteerde bergweg op Java," or "Asphalted Mountain Road in Java," by Neville Keasberry, sometime between 1900 and 1935. The detail is astonishing, though it has a melancholic feeling. What do you see in this image that might escape the eye at first glance? Curator: What strikes me is how this seemingly simple landscape photo is deeply embedded in the colonial project. The “asphalted road” isn’t just infrastructure; it's a symbol of Western power imposing itself upon the natural landscape of Java. Think about the resources, both human and material, required to build that road. Editor: So the road itself becomes a political statement? Curator: Precisely. It signifies control, accessibility for trade and military purposes, and the subjugation of local populations. These stereoscopic images, popular in Europe and America, reinforced a Western gaze, often romanticizing or exoticizing colonized lands while conveniently ignoring the exploitative practices underpinning that ‘progress.’ It presents Java as a space to be conquered, mapped, and profited from. What purpose did these stereoscopic photographs serve in the West at the time? Editor: I suppose, bringing these exotic places 'closer' to people, in a way that was considered educational or just entertaining, even. It’s troubling to think about. I'll definitely see such images from that period in a different way now. Curator: It’s about understanding how these images were not neutral depictions of reality, but carefully constructed representations that supported specific socio-political agendas. The 'objective' photographic lens could, and often did, become a tool for reinforcing colonial hierarchies.