Huizen en mensen uit Java op de World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 1893

Charles Dudley Arnold captured this image titled 'Huizen en mensen uit Java op de World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893'. It offers a glimpse into the spectacle of the World’s Fair, a stage where cultural exchange became a form of colonial display. The Javanese village, reconstructed in Chicago, was meant to represent an authentic slice of life, but it also served to reinforce Western ideas about the 'exotic' East. This photo captures both the curiosity and the constructed nature of such encounters, subtly revealing the power dynamics at play. What does it mean to transplant a community and put it on display? In viewing this image, consider the gazes—of those who were part of the display and those who came to observe. Think about the stories that are told and the ones that are left out. It’s a moment frozen in time, laden with questions about identity, representation, and the complex legacy of cultural exchange.