Young Tobacco Under Shade-Plants, Sungei Tatouk — C.J. Kleingrothe, ca. 1910
€ 270
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1910
Mapmaker / artist
C.J. Kleingrothe, Medan, ca. 1910
Technique
Photogravure on original card mount
Sheet size
34 × 45 cm (13.4 × 17.7 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-05079-9
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Condition report: Very good. Light foxing and minor age toning confined mainly to the card mount. Photogravure impression clean and well preserved with no tears or creases. Verso clean.
About this sheet
Young Tobacco Under Shade-Plants, Sungei Tatouk — C.J. Kleingrothe, ca. 1910
Photogravure view of a young tobacco plantation at Sungei Tatouk in the Deli region of East Sumatra, captured at the crucial early stage of plant development. Rows of young tobacco plants are individually protected with small shade covers, arranged in precise grid formation across rolling terrain. Plantation workers oversee the field, and processing buildings are visible in the background.
Charles J. Kleingrothe’s Medan studio produced the most comprehensive photographic record of the region during the height of the plantation boom. Tobacco, especially the famous Deli wrapper leaf, was the dominant driver of East Sumatra’s economic expansion in the late 19th and early 20th century. This plate serves as a key historical document of the labor-intensive agricultural system that supplied cigar leaf to European and American markets. Many tobacco plantations of this era later transitioned to rubber and palm oil, making images like this especially valuable as records of a vanished agricultural landscape.
This sheet preserves strong tonal range and fine detail, particularly in the repeating forms of the shade structures and the distant plantation architecture. The original trilingual captions (German, Dutch, English) remain clear beneath the image. Such well-preserved examples of Kleingrothe’s tobacco-related plates are increasingly difficult to obtain.
Condition report: Very good. Light foxing and minor age toning confined mainly to the card mount. Photogravure impression clean and well preserved with no tears or creases. Verso clean.
Framing tips: A warm wood frame such as teak or walnut reinforces the agricultural subject. A soft ivory or light taupe mat provides strong contrast with the darker image. UV-protective glazing recommended.
