Gezicht op Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad op Aruba before 1887

Jacobus Rudolphus Neervoort van de Poll made this photograph of Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad, Aruba, some time between 1880 and 1920. The Fort, which still stands today, has been a symbol of Dutch colonial power since it was built in 1798. This image is about more than just the Fort. It shows two local men in the foreground. They are not formally posed, but they are clearly included in the picture. As such, the photograph is an interesting document of cultural history. It tells us something about the relationship between the colonizers and the colonized. The image shows how the colonial presence was embedded in the everyday lives of Arubans. We know that colonial administrators and merchants commissioned photos like this, as they were eager to document their activities. Understanding images like this depends on historical research into the social and institutional contexts in which they were created.