Los 4049

Dutch India
Views of Dutch India

Aus dem Katalog
Fotografie des 19. – 21. Jahrhunderts
Auktionsdatum 8.6.2022

Photographer: Walter Bentley Woodbury & James Page (1834-1885, ? -1865), Herrmann & Co., Batavia (active 1885-1900). Views of Dutch India. 1860s. 11 albumen prints. Each circa 21 x 25 cm. Each mounted to thin card, annotated in Dutch in ink under the images on mounts.

This group of early photographs of Dutch India shows picturesque landscapes and colonial residencies around Parahyangan, a mountainous region in the province of West Java. Ancient Indonesians believed that the gods resided here in the mountain peaks. During the Dutch colonial period, the area was known as De Preanger. By the 19th century, the Dutch had brought most of Java under their control. With the construction of Daendels' Java Great Post Road, the plantation area of Preanger was opened up for investment and connected to the port of Batavia. Other photos show the governor's palace of Buitenzorg, the old regent's residence of Sumadang, Preanger and a panoramic view of Amboina island.
We are grateful to Prof. Joachim K. Bautze for providing information regarding this lot. – Some slightly faded in edges, some handling creases, otherwise many in very good condition with rich contrasts.