Groep om vastgebonden krokodil, Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra 1907

This photograph of a group of people surrounding a tied-up crocodile was taken in Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra, by Heinrich Ernst & Co. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be there, the kind of excitement, maybe even a little fear? You can see a crowd gathered around the poor creature. They're all different ages, different backgrounds maybe? I wonder what they're thinking, looking at this crocodile? The buildings are interesting, too. They look like they've seen some things, with those balconies and the way the light hits them. And the crocodile itself – it's almost like it's posing, or maybe it's just resigned to its fate. It makes you wonder about the relationship between people and nature, doesn't it? About power, and what it means to be in control. It's a lot to think about, isn't it? And that's what makes art so great, the questions it asks, and the way it makes you see the world a little differently.