Fedor Schulze: photographer in the Dutch East Indies L.F.M. Schulze (1836 - 1908) was a German-born officer who served in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) before settling in Batavia, Java, where he became a naturalized Dutch citizen. After his retirement from military service, he pursued a new career as a writer, publisher, and professional photographer. In 1890 and 1894, he published two travel guides on Java, reflecting his interest in the landscapes, cultures, and travel routes of the region. Around the same time, he established a photography studio in Batavia. His work is known for its carefully composed studio portraits, often depicting individuals in traditional Javanese and Balinese clothing, with respectful attention to the cultural and visual details of everyday life. Through both his writings and his photographs, Schulze left a valuable textual and visual record of late 19th-century Java.

Photographs P59 (left) and P97 (right) were taken at the Schulze photo studio in Batavia. Additional examples of Schulze’s work in the collection of the CRA-gallery include P60, P66, P80, P98, PM12, PM30, and PM36.

Travel guide “West Java; from Batavia to Tjilitjap,” (1894). For details see M38.