Spoorbrug over de rivier Cherundella in Mozambique c. 1886s

This photograph of a bridge over the Cherundella River in Mozambique was taken by Manuel Romão Pereira in the 19th century. It's a striking image, not for its aesthetic qualities, but for what it represents: colonial infrastructure. The railway line, prominently featured, symbolizes the reach of Portuguese colonial power into the Mozambican interior. Constructed to facilitate the extraction of resources and the consolidation of control, the railway epitomizes the economic imperatives driving colonial expansion at the time. Consider how this infrastructure project would have disrupted local communities, economies, and ecologies. It is also relevant to know that the Portuguese colonial regime faced challenges and resistance from the Mozambican people. To fully understand this image, we can turn to archival documents, colonial records, and oral histories to learn more about the lived experiences of those affected by these infrastructures of control.