Het handelscentrum van Surabaya 1876 - 1884

This is a photograph titled ‘Het handelscentrum van Surabaya’, which translates to ‘The Commercial Center of Surabaya’, by Herman Salzwedel. In this image, we see a bustling street scene, a snapshot of daily life in Surabaya, Indonesia, during a period of Dutch colonial rule. The figures who populate the photograph appear to be local inhabitants, their lives and labor deeply intertwined with the Dutch East India Company's economic activities. What does it mean to capture this place and time? The photograph may seem like a neutral record, but consider the power dynamics inherent in who is behind the camera and whose story gets told. Consider how the photograph serves as a record, a memory, a narrative shaped by the photographer's perspective, and by the historical and cultural context in which it was created. It invites us to contemplate the complexities of colonialism, and its enduring impact on identity and representation.