Sources
Critically handling sources:
When researching the provenance of objects from colonial contexts, it is important to keep the following issues in mind:
- the knowledge and expertise of people from the countries or communities of origin are important sources for the history of the objects.
- colonial sources reflect erstwhile ideas and power relations.
In colonial sources, concealing language often occurs. For example, objects were 'found' or 'taken'. Also, individuals in the colonized territories were often described in a derogatory or paternalistic way. Regardless, colonial sources were written from a perspective that justified colonial rule. There is a danger of reproducing power relations of the time if you do not confront these critically. Therefore, be aware of the tone in such sources and take this into account when carrying out your own research. For example, historical language used in sources needs contextualization. This includes a recognition of the colonial perspective of these sources. It is also important to involve communities of origin as early in the research as possible.
The Wereldmuseum's publication Words Matter provides tips for dealing with colonial terminology.
Keywords:
In provenance research into colonial collections, you have to use different keywords than the modern terminology we use today. This includes place names: these often changed after the decolonization. For example, Batavia became Jakarta and Leopoldville became Kinshasa. When place names remained the same, the spelling was often different during the colonial period than it is now (think for example of Surabaya/Surabaya and Tjirebon/Cirebon).
For objects, too, different terminology was used than in today's language. As an example, a 'baadje' is nowadays called a jacket. In the Dutch East Indies, terms derived from Indonesian were also in use, such as 'rampokken' and 'rampassen' as synonyms for plundering. Non-Dutch names were spelled in different ways, even in colonial times. Dutch nationals were often referred to only by their last name and initials. Therefore, always try to find out which names and terms were used and search with different variants in the search engines.
Where can you find sources?:
Personal archives and documents
For provenance research into objects from colonial contexts, personal archives are often crucial. These can include diaries, memoirs and letters. Personal archives can also contain copies of reports and records made professionally. This can be important because significant portions of colonial government archives have not been preserved.
Such private collections can be found in numerous archives in the Netherlands. It is therefore advisable to begin your search at www.archieven.nl. However, not all archival institutions can be found here, so it is often necessary to continue your search outside this website. Many Dutch nationals who were active in colonial administration, the military or science deposited their personal archives at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV). These archives are now part of the Leiden University Libraries. Sometimes archives are still in private ownership, with families, organizations or companies.
Through the Dutch National Archives the personnel records (studbooks) of colonial civil servants, military and naval personnel are digitally available. In this way, it is possible to find when and where they were stationed, and for what actions they received badges of honour and decorations.
Archives of institutions and governments
These include archives of institutions that have owned the object, for instance museums or dealers in art and ethnographic objects. Archives of some (former) museum collections and institutions are deposited in national, provincial or municipal archives. Keep in mind that in addition to these archives, there are often archival materials kept within the institution itself.
In terms of government archives, the archives of the Ministry of Colonies, the Ministries of War and Navy, and the Ministry of the Interior are of particular importance; these are housed in the National Archives. Large parts of the archives of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) are also located there, including personal archives of governors and local administrations. Important parts of these archives have now been digitized. The National Archives offers several search aides to guide users through these archives. The research guide De koloniale staat 1854-1942 contains detailed explanations of the archives relating to the Dutch East Indies and the various official departments.
Newspapers
In the colonial era, much more was reported in the newspapers than today. For example, extensive reports of military actions can be found, and transfers of military and colonial officials were announced through the papers. Donations of items to museums and other institutions were also often reported.
An important resource for provenance research is the website www.delpher.nl. It contains digitally browsable historical (Dutch) newspapers, books, magazines and radio bulletins. It also includes Dutch newspapers from the former colonies, containing information about individuals, ship passengers and specific events. The Drents Archief made a video that provides tips for using Delpher.
Books and magazines Dutch books and magazines from the colonial era often contain extensive travel reports and accounts of events of various kinds. Consequently, these publications are a rich source for provenance research, albeit with a colonial gaze. Additionally, you can find catalogs of exhibitions and other publications that feature objects. Many of these publications have now been digitized. They are browsable through, for instance, the following websites:
- https://www.delpher.nl
- https://digitalcollections.universiteitleiden.nl
- https://books.google.nl
Images, maps and plans
Photographs can provide a picture of how objects were used in the regions of origin. They can also contain information about sites, excavations, museum displays or interiors, which can be used to identify objects. Other visual materials, such as drawings and paintings, can also be useful in this regard.
The most extensive databases in the Netherlands with material on the areas colonized by European powers are the ones of the Leiden University Library, the Wereldmuseum and, in addition, the image collections of the Dutch National Archives and Rijksmuseum.
Maps and plans from the colonial era can help locate the place of origin of objects. These maps and plans can be found in the collections of the Dutch National Archives and the Leiden University Library.
Communities in the regions of origin
Information about the object's history can almost always be found in its area of origin. This includes written and oral sources as well as information about the function and meaning of the object. Such information is an important source for understanding the provenance of an object and the circumstances under which it came to the Netherlands.
Experts in the Netherlands and countries of origin
Sometimes information about an object is not written down. Experts, both in the Netherlands and in the countries of origin, can be an important source of information. This includes museum staff and other academic experts, but also traders, collectors, artisans and artists. There is often still knowledge in communities about how objects were manufactured and used.
Archives outside of the Netherlands
A guiding principle in the archival world is that archives are kept where they were formed. For this reason, many archives related to Dutch colonial collections are located in the former colonies. Archival institutions containing such material include the National Archives of Suriname, Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia, the National Archives of Sri Lanka and the National Archives of Curaçao. For browsing various archives in Indonesia, the JIKN portal is available.
An example is the archive of the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences which is located at the Arsip Nasional in Jakarta, the city where this institution was based. Yet many archival records regarding the Batavian Society can also be found in the Netherlands, for example in archives of individuals who had connections with the Society.
Collectors may have been active in several European countries. Therefore, relevant information may also be located in other European countries. For Germany, this information can be found through the portals Proveana, Archivführer zur deutschen Kolonialgeschichte and the database Sammlungsgut aus Kolonialen Kontexten. The French portal AGORHA contains information on collectors, dealers and collections in the fields of archaeology and art history, including Asian art.