Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1895

Willem de Zwart sent this postcard to Philip Zilcken at an unknown date. Its materials – paper, ink, adhesive, and a small rectangle of card – are so humble as to seem almost invisible. Yet it is precisely the postcard's mundane quality that makes it so interesting. Consider the sheer quantity of these objects that were produced around the turn of the century. It speaks to an emerging culture of mass communication, leisure, and tourism; and, of course, to advances in industrial printing, which made such cheap ephemera possible. The postal markings, with their careful registration and cancellation, give this particular card a unique identity. And the handwriting, too, personalizes it, even as the printed text and images suggest standardization. In a sense, this little card exemplifies the democratizing effect of industrialization, with its blend of hand and machine. It points to a moment when the means of cultural production were becoming more accessible than ever before, a shift that continues to resonate today.