Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1919

Curator: Here we have a fascinating document: a letter, possibly from 1919, titled “Brief aan Jan Veth” attributed to Chap van Deventer. It’s rendered in ink on paper, almost a photographic snapshot of a handwritten note. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The first impression is intimacy. It's small, personal, and densely filled with script. The flow of the handwriting gives it an immediacy, as if catching the writer in the very act of thinking and feeling. But what language is it? Curator: It seems to be Dutch. The handwriting itself carries its own symbolism; it tells us something about the writer's character, or at least the character they projected. See the meticulous formations—they speak to the writer's commitment to communication and social engagement. Editor: Precisely. I see how the choice to pen rather than type this letter—even in 1919—reinforces a particular kind of social power and direct, embodied message. There's a level of intentionality here that circumvents the machine to maintain authority over the content. We can feel a kind of self-determined, proto-feminist stance. Curator: A fascinating lens to consider, placing value on the maker's physical presence and labor in a changing social dynamic. Editor: Absolutely. Look, the postscript, “mijn best wil doen om Joost een parte te helpen…” which speaks of assisting “Joost” demonstrates collaborative intent in the moment that reinforces existing and negotiated hierarchies. There's both the intimacy of a personal exchange and a powerful articulation of socio-economic influence that one gets from the handwriting here. Curator: And there's the address on the top too, suggesting Amsterdam's “Valeriusstraat”. All in all, the letter is charged, laden with layers of communication from its physical form to the script itself, acting as a direct line to the past. Editor: Yes, a seemingly simple letter revealing complex negotiations. An assertion of self and place through ink on paper that resonates even today.