How to write about an historical object, that is not in fact an object? 

Lisa Vanderheyden (Utrecht University)

Label of the jar with the baby's body (Museum Vrolik)
Label of the jar with the baby's body (Museum Vrolik)

In 1927, a little boy was born at a hospital in Semarang, Java. He had a congenital defect and died after three days of living. We can’t be certain of how - and whether - his emotional story continued, but his physical story did: his body was preserved as a specimen and transported to The Netherlands, where it remains at the Museum Vrolik today. Not every object that is historical should be used as a gateway to look into the past, especially human remains, which is why there is no picture of the baby's body included here. However, their stories should be told.