Pagina 144 en 145 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph, by J.W. Meyster, is from a photo book of the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra. These images offer a glimpse into the colonial enterprises of the Dutch East Indies. The photo shows workers, likely local Sumatrans, processing what looks like coffee beans in a large industrial setting. These images served to promote the success and modernity of Dutch agricultural ventures, yet they simultaneously obscured the realities of labor exploitation and colonial power dynamics. The emotional weight of this image lies in the stark contrast between the orderly, almost sterile factory environment, and the obscured humanity of the workers who operated within it. The photograph invites us to reflect on how colonial narratives were constructed and disseminated. It also prompts questions about the human cost of economic expansion and the legacy of these histories in contemporary society.