Inside Sugar Factory

This image is a selection from the Platen van Nederlandsch Oost-en West-Indië, a photographic series printed in a large size for a specific purpose: to decorate the walls of schools and to be used for instructional purposes. This series contains beautifully printed images, which include scenes of idyllic landscapes, interspersed with those of industry and modernisation of the Dutch colonies like the one you see here, highlighting the role of photography in the colonial context. The focus on people and industry shows an interest in reflecting life in the colonies from a European perspective, which was the view introduced and discussed in schools.