Oblong Folio keepsake folder ca. 36 x 28.5 cm (14 ¼ x 11 ¼ in). With 51 photogravures, mostly ca. 23.5 x 17.5 cm (9 ¼ x 6 ¾ in), published on card mounts ca. 35.5 x 27.5 cm (14 x 10 ¾ in). All photogravures with printed captions in Dutch (most also with captions in German and English) and photographer’s and printer’s credentials on the mounts; all but one with printed numbers. With colour-printed title page with illustration showing a Sumatran landscape and native people. Original publisher’s green cloth folder with gilt-tooled title “Sumatra” and colour-stamped illustration (same as title page) on front cover. Folder rubbed on extremities, spine with minor tears on top and bottom, otherwise very good, internally clean copy.

A complete set of a keepsake collection of photogravures showing the tobacco and coffee industries on the island of Sumatra, based on original photographs by C.J. Kleingrothe, a German photographer well-known for his views of the Dutch East Indies and British Malay during the early 20th century. Most likely, the publication aimed to promote investments in Sumatran plantation industries.

Kleingrothe opened a studio in Medan with a partner in 1889, and they quickly became renowned in the region for their colonial photography. In 1897, Kleingrothe established his own studio in the same city. Throughout his career, he frequently worked with Sumatran tobacco companies, photographing plantations, including the Deli Company and the Arendsburg Tobacco Company.

Tobacco began being grown and produced on the east coast of Sumatra, particularly in the Deli region, in the 1860s. The Deli Company, one of four major tobacco producers in the region, was established in 1869 and has continued operations to this day.

18 images show the tobacco and coffee industries of Sumatra. The images include the residence of the head administrator of the Arendsburg Tobacco Company, a small railyard and dredger in use by the Deli Company, tobacco fields in various plantations, transportation of tobacco (down a river, flying basket), fermentation sheds (exterior of a shed in Kuala Mincirim, interior of shed with packing press), and workers receiving and sorting tobacco, as well as several views of a coffee field.

Nine views show Medan, the capital of the Sultanate of Deli, on the east coast of Sumatra (currently the capital of the province of North Sumatra). They include views of harbours and railway stations, streets (“Hotel Road” and “Deli Lane”), the district of Kesawan, the clubhouse of the “Witte Societeit,” and the Sultan’s Palace (constructed between 1887 and 1891).

Of note is a photogravure of five portraits of sultans from the east coast of Sumatra, including those of the Sultanates of Deli (“Ma’amoen Al Rasjid Perkasa Alam Sjah”), Serdang (“Soeleiman Sarifoel Alam Sjah”), Siak (“Sjarif Hasjim Abdoel Djalil Saifoeddin”), Assahan (“Mohamad Hoesin Sjah”), and Langkat (“Abdoel Aziz Abdoeldjalil Rachmat Sjah").

Several images are portraits of Indonesians and scenes from life, including a portrait of a Batak chief, Batak women pounding rice, scenes from Batak villages (“Bekioen,” “Roemah Kinangkong”), as well as portraits of Klingalese people, Javanese people, and Malay people. There are also images of workers ploughing fields with oxen, clearing jungle, cutting through a road, and digging a channel.

Additionally, several images show landscapes of Sumatra, including views of rivers (“Bloomei river,” “Wampoe river,” “ferry on the Padang river”) and forests.

Overall, an interesting keepsake folder of Sumatran views of the plantations, cities, and people in early 20th century.