Prentbriefkaart aan Andries Bonger Possibly 1935 - 1939

Curator: Ah, this card has travelled through time to reach us here! This is a postcard, sent to Andries Bonger sometime between 1935 and 1939 by Abel Lefranc. It’s ink on paper. What’s your initial take? Editor: Well, I’m immediately struck by the contrast of intimacy and formality. On the one hand, it’s a handwritten note, a personal message; on the other, the classic ‘carte postale’ layout lends a detached feel, especially with those official stamps. Curator: Absolutely. You know, it's quite charming; there’s something vulnerable about handwriting, isn't there? I wonder if this person had to stop and think about every stroke they made as they penned it down on paper. It feels almost as though I can almost touch a small piece of them somehow! Editor: Precisely! The hand-drawn typeface definitely provides insight, with its blend of personality, culture, and social position. Calligraphy itself has a long, complicated history of being tied to class privilege and limited educational opportunities for women or the working class, particularly in the early 20th century. Curator: Yes! Plus, this wasn’t just any scrap of paper, this was meant to *travel*! Editor: That's so important. The message itself becomes almost secondary to the performative act of sending something material across distance, right? It suggests longing, remembrance—maybe even the precarity of connection in a world edging towards conflict. Curator: I agree entirely. Look at the two French stamps in the upper right corner of the postcard, next to the message written by Abel Lefranc. This small work truly tells an amazing and unique story. Editor: Considering our era’s over-reliance on impersonal digital communication, this "Prentbriefkaart aan Andries Bonger” serves as an intimate record, resisting a future that seems increasingly detached from historical reality, offering a tangible echo of an era grappling with different uncertainties. Curator: Absolutely. I'm ready for tea. How about you? Editor: I'm sold, sounds perfect to me.