Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1891

This is a letter, penned by Howard Mansfield in London on October 4th, 1891. It's addressed to a Mr. Zilcken, expressing thanks for kindnesses received and conveying fond sentiments about meetings with mutual acquaintances in The Hague. But what can a seemingly simple thank you note tell us? The letterhead reveals its origin: Long's Hotel Ltd. on New Bond Street, a detail that speaks to Mansfield's social milieu, and connects him to the institutions of wealth and leisure that defined a particular stratum of late-Victorian London. The handwriting itself offers clues. Note the elegant script, indicative of education and social standing. References to social calls and holidays hint at the rituals and rhythms of a privileged life. To truly understand this letter, we might turn to social registers, business directories, and perhaps even hotel guest books. We can analyze the networks of acquaintance it suggests. Through careful contextualization, seemingly mundane artifacts like this letter can illuminate the social and cultural landscape of their time.