Telegram met gelukwensen, 1928 1928

This is a telegram made in 1928 by the Dutch postal service, or PTT, in the Dutch East Indies. It gives us a glimpse into the social life of the Dutch in what is now Indonesia. The telegram, sent from Surabaya, likely to a hotel in Weltevreden, present-day Jakarta, conveys congratulations to the addressee, wishing their family a joyful celebration. It seems the sender, maybe part of the family Vandersande, wants to be part of the festivity in spirit. What’s interesting is the use of this technology, the telegram, to convey a familial sentiment. It speaks to the importance placed on maintaining connections across distances in a colonial context. By looking into archival sources, like the PTT’s records or hotel guest registries, the historian might be able to reconstruct the lives and relationships embedded in this seemingly simple message. The telegram shows us how social relationships were maintained through institutions and technology.