Wals met bestuurder 1931 - 1937

This photograph, “Wals met bestuurder” or Roller with Driver, of unknown date and authorship, is housed at the Rijksmuseum. It captures a road roller and its operator in what was then known as Soerabaia, now Surabaya. The image offers us a lens into colonial Indonesia, illustrating the technological advancements introduced by Dutch colonizers. The presence of the road roller—a symbol of progress—intersects with the identity and role of its driver, whose ethnicity remains ambiguous. The photograph invites us to consider the complexities of colonial encounters, the asymmetries of power, and the layers of identity that are often obscured in historical depictions. It serves as a reminder of the human element behind the machinery of progress, urging us to reflect on the nuanced stories embedded within seemingly straightforward images.