Interieur van de dienstwoning van geneesheer Jacob Evert Wesenhagen 1906 - 1907

This photograph, taken by Jacob Evert Wesenhagen, shows the interior of his residence. The rough-hewn planks and simple furniture speak volumes about the setting, likely a remote outpost where Wesenhagen served as a physician. Notice the way the light catches on the bare walls. The modest furnishings, like the wicker chairs and upright piano, tell a story of bringing comforts to a rugged environment. These objects, mass-produced, were shipped to every corner of the world during the colonial era. Yet their presence here also speaks to the social and cultural life that Wesenhagen tried to cultivate, even far from home. Even photography itself, though seemingly a direct record, can be seen as a type of making. This image isn't just a snapshot, but a carefully composed view that invites us to consider the conditions of life and labor at the edges of empire. It is through material things that we glimpse the broader context of a life.