Instruction in Resin: Rubber Workers, Ceylon, c. 1900

Details

• Museum-grade reproduction of a sepia-toned plantation scene, early 20th century

• Depicts a training moment in rubber tapping, likely in colonial-era Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

• Captures communal labor, skilled technique, and colonial-era documentation

• Digitally restored for depth and historical clarity

• Printed on archival cotton rag paper using fade-resistant pigment inks

About the Artwork

In this poignant photograph, a group of rubber plantation workers gathers in quiet focus as one among them demonstrates the precise cuts needed for latex tapping. Likely taken in early 20th-century Ceylon under British colonial rule, the image preserves a scene of both knowledge transfer and economic exploitation. The informal posture and attentive gestures reveal a moment of cooperation within the rigid framework of a plantation economy. With its dusty earth, measured tree markings, and intense concentration, the image speaks volumes about dignity, survival, and colonial industry.