As a former colonized nation, Indonesia has a unique place in the history of photography. 'A History of Photography in Indonesia: From the Colonial Era to the Digital Age' looks at the development of photography from the beginning and traces its uses in Indonesia from its invention to the present day. The Dutch colonial government first brought the medium to the East Indies in the 1840s and immediately recognized its potential in serving the colonial apparatus. As the country grew and changed, so too did the medium. Photography was not only an essential tool of colonialism, but it also became part of the movement for independence, a voice for reformasi, an agent for advocating democracy, and is now available to anyone with a phone. This book gathers essays by leading artists, scholars, and curators from around the world who have worked with photography in Indonesia and have traced the evolution of the medium from its inception to the present day, addressing the impact of photography on colonialism, independence, and democratization. Introduction The Invention of Photography, the Nederlands, and the Dutch East Indies Journeys Completed and Journeys to Come in Indonesian Photography Portraits of Power The Dance Photographs of Walter Spies and Claire Holt: A Biographical Study Midcentury European Modernism and the March Towards Independence: Gotthard Schuh, Cas Oorthuys, Niels Douwes Dekker, and Henri Cartier-Bresson A Short History of IPPHOS Art Photography in Indonesia: J.M. Arastatch Ro’is, Tirsno Suardjo, and Zenith Magazine Reflections on Reformasi Photography (from the Vantage Point of the 2014 Elections) Journalistic Circus: A Look at Photojournalism in Indonesia and the History of the Antara Gallery of Photojournalism New Media Culture Development of Photographic Education in Indonesia MES 56: Souvenirs from the Past Hybrid Practices of the MES 56 Photography Collective Outsiders On Silence, Seeking, and Speaking: Meditations on Identity Through My Family Albums A City on the Move: Bandung Today Urban Parallax: Jakarta Street Photography on Instagram A Personal Note: The Ground Beneath My Feet