Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1910

This postcard was made by Willy Martens and sent to Philip Zilcken. At first glance, this may seem like a simple piece of correspondence, but let us delve into its deeper meanings. Note the array of stamps and postal marks—each a symbol of connection across distance. These marks, almost ritualistic in their application, share a visual language with ancient seals and emblems, signifying authority and passage. Look at how the postal stamps resemble the immutable, ancient wax seals on royal decrees, for example. The act of sending a postcard itself is a ritual, a gesture of remembrance, a thread in the vast web of human communication that stretches back millennia. This seemingly mundane act, imbued with the psychological weight of connection, reminds us of our innate desire to reach out, to touch someone beyond our immediate grasp. Just like how we see ancient Greeks and Egyptians sending messages across the continent, we are all connected through the act of communication. In this simple postcard, we witness not just a message sent but a symbol of our enduring human need to connect, communicate, and remember.