Blad 5 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1922 - 1929

This page comes from a student registry, likely created in the 1920s, for the Koloniale School for Meisjes en Vrouwen, or Colonial School for Girls and Women, in The Hague. It's made with paper, ink, and glue, everyday materials produced for administrative purposes. Each page is divided into columns, inscribed with handwriting, and includes small photographs. The registry provides a snapshot into the colonial education system of the time, and reflects ideas about gender, class, and race. The material is significant because it would have been relatively inexpensive. The book illustrates the nature of the work being done within, by means of an inexpensive form of production. The photographs glued onto the pages, show a glimpse into the lives of the women, and suggest their aspirations of joining the colonial system. Each student's history is recorded as a means of surveillance, and an illustration of the colonialist project. This registry invites us to consider the social and political context in which it was made, and the role of materials in shaping our understanding of history.