Rejsedagbog 1846

This is a travel journal, made around 1840 by Johan Thomas Lundbye, with paper, leather, and ink. These are quite traditional materials, not so different from what would have been used centuries earlier. The physical qualities of this object are important. The small scale speaks to its intimacy, intended for private reflection and record-keeping. The flexible leather cover makes it portable, ready to be slipped into a pocket for use on the move. The thin, almost transparent pages show how writing was once precious, not to be wasted. And you can sense the slow, careful labor invested in each handwritten word. The journal format itself is bound up with broader social issues, like the rise of travel as a pastime for the emerging middle class. This kind of personal object, handmade and filled with intellectual and artistic activity, challenges our usual understanding of the division between art, craft, and everyday life.