Blad 76 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1936

This page comes from a student register for the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague and dates from between 1930-1949. It's made from paper, ink and photographs. What strikes me is the handwriting. It's so precise, controlled and consistent; a uniformity that speaks to the values of the school, the institution, and the time. But within that control, there's also individuality: the slight slant of a letter, the pressure of the pen, the flourishes of the signatures. I'm drawn to the contrast between the handwritten text and the pasted-in photographs. The photos are so small, like little windows into another world. These women, poised and formal in their portraits, become characters in a larger narrative. A narrative about colonialism, education, and the lives of women in a particular time and place. It reminds me of the work of Sophie Calle, who often combines text and image to create narratives that are both personal and historical. It’s interesting to reflect on how these images, like any artwork, present a vision of the world which is both ambiguous and open to interpretation.