Old Cameras for Sale, Jalan Surabaya
A collection of old cameras behind glass waits for buyers in Jalan Surabaya. The range of antiques on sale in Jalan Surabaya reflects Jakarta’s past – including its relatively recent modern past as well as its colonial one. The old Dutch colonial trinkets are steadily being supplanted by more modern ones, from rotary phones to Indonesian LPs.
Many of Jalan Surabaya’s antique sellers trace the origins of their trade to itinerant antique sellers in the old city around Fatahillah Square.
As their numbers grew, the need for a permanent place for these sellers grew as well. In 1974, then-Governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin moved the sellers to their current spot on Jalan Surabaya, where they have been hawking their wares ever since.
The permanent structures seen today were only introduced in the late ‘80s; the sellers were content to hawk their wares from under tents in the old days. Today, there are about 184 stalls down the 500-yard stretch that makes up the Jalan Surabaya antiques market.
Many of Jalan Surabaya’s antique sellers trace the origins of their trade to itinerant antique sellers in the old city around Fatahillah Square.
As their numbers grew, the need for a permanent place for these sellers grew as well. In 1974, then-Governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin moved the sellers to their current spot on Jalan Surabaya, where they have been hawking their wares ever since.
The permanent structures seen today were only introduced in the late ‘80s; the sellers were content to hawk their wares from under tents in the old days. Today, there are about 184 stalls down the 500-yard stretch that makes up the Jalan Surabaya antiques market.