Pagina 51 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This is page 51 from a photo book by J.W. Meyster, documenting the Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra. The photograph presents an organized view of a rubber plantation. What strikes me is how the composition uses the ordered rows of trees, which draw the eye into the scene. The tonal range, from light to dark, emphasizes the textures of the foliage and the ground cover. Consider how this orderly arrangement isn't just a neutral recording; it reflects specific values. The structure and repetition speak to control, both in the cultivation of nature and in the socio-economic structures of colonial agriculture. Even the lone figure in the distance reinforces this sense of ordered human activity within a managed landscape. Ultimately, the photograph functions as a study in contrasts. The organic, untamed nature of the tropics is reshaped into an artificial and productive landscape. How this image invites us to consider the relationships between nature, labor, and colonial power.