In 2021 we had the honour to access the photo collection of the National Archive and Utrechts Archive consisting of photo’s and video’s from the 50’s and 60’s on which images out of the Surinamese-Marron community is captured. This are pictures out of many different collections. Among others, the collection of biologist professor Con Bruning of the Evangelical Fraternity who in 1952 captured different Marron communities, among others the Ndyuka, in the inlands of Suriname.
Together with the archives our foundation selected a small collection and finally made these photo’s accessible to the crowd. We made sure the descriptions of the photo’s had the voice of the community at heart. Under the name “Hidden colonial heritage, returned to the people” we made a photo-exposition in the Utrechts Archive. Where a variety of descendants and others interested parties visited the expo. During these visits we made good use of the crowd by capturing the stories behind the photo’s through crowdsourcing.
The exposition has now, as intended, turned into a true traveling exposition. Other then the Utrechts Archive, the expo had also been at the Wi Eegi Kirki in Amsterdam, the Hernhutters House Museum, the bol.com headquarters and now at the National Archive in Surinam. The exposition will have it’s final destination at the Diitabiki Museum Fositen gudu.
