De hoofd en bijgebouwen op het fabrieksterrein op Madura. c. 1910

Frits Freerks Fontein Fz. made this photograph of the factory grounds on Madura around 1910. The image documents a specific site of colonial enterprise in the Dutch East Indies. The photograph presents us with a manicured view of industry. We see tropical vegetation lining the orderly drive. In the background, factory buildings are just visible. This aesthetic carefully constructs an image of colonial industry as both productive and harmonious. But how might this scene have looked from the perspective of Madurese workers? Historical research into colonial archives, company records, and oral histories can provide further insights. What were the labor conditions? How did the factory impact the local economy and environment? Ultimately, this photograph reminds us that images are never neutral. As historians, we must critically examine whose perspectives are included and excluded from the frame.