The ANU Southeast Asia Institute Research Seminar Series is a recurring seminar series that showcases the work of scholars working on political, social, and cultural issues in Southeast Asia.
Contact the ANU Southeast Asia Institute Research Seminar Series Conveners:
- Deepak Nair at deepak.nair@anu.edu.au
- Nicholas Chan at waiyeap.chan@anu.edu.au
Nostalgia in waiting? The legacy of colonial postcards in Southeast Asia from the 19th century to today
Colonial era photos and postcards have often been regarded as the lesser and more innocent aspects of colonial rule. Yet the legacy of the visuals of Empire persists, in the manner in which colonial images of colonised lands and societies continue to shape and inform how postcolonial societies see themselves today.
We will argue that colonial postcards were never truly 'innocent', in the sense that they were produced at a time of very real power differentials between the colonisers and the colonised. The fact that they persist today tells us something about the enduring power of arrested images, and how present-day 'nostalgia industries' often fall back on the tropes of Empire.
About the Speaker:
Dr Farish A Noor is Professor of Political History at the Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII). His work has focused largely on 19th century Colonial Southeast Asia, with a focus on the narratives and modalities of knowledge-production and data collecting in the region.