Brief aan Max Dittmar Henkel Possibly 1938

Curator: Well, here's an intriguing find. It's a letter or handwritten document titled "Brief aan Max Dittmar Henkel" or "Letter to Max Dittmar Henkel", potentially created around 1938 by Anna Maria Struben. It's ink on paper. Editor: Immediately, there’s such intimacy to it. Look at this looping script—a really organic rhythm across the page, but also a quiet reserve. Almost like a dance. It looks so precise, so considered. Curator: Indeed. And think about the materiality itself – the choice of ink, the type of paper available at that time. These choices, often dictated by the context, reveal something about Struben’s access and resources. What can we glean from it, and is it just personal correspondence or something more crafted? Editor: Absolutely. This hand-lettering dances between functionality and art, no? A kind of performance—she's aware of her hand at work, aware of how the words visually carry feeling in ways beyond simple legibility. Each stroke breathes character into the story being told. Curator: Consider also the potential networks involved, right? Henkel, the recipient. Struben, the maker. We should look into the paper mill, the source of the ink… Was it a locally sourced product, or an import from elsewhere in Europe? The infrastructure tells such stories. Editor: True, the unseen framework holding this narrative. It’s fascinating that these hand written notes seem like a time capsule - I find the imperfection rather lovely, little splatters of ink, ghosting from the verso... it whispers of the physical act, really making it human. I’m keen to know about these figures too; imagine holding onto a piece of art made in honor of you and yours. Curator: Exactly! That tension—between this intensely personal, handwritten correspondence and the web of production it embodies is very present to me. And as for Max Dittmar Henkel... digging into that relationship and the document's purpose really does seem like the most fascinating next step. Editor: It definitely gives so much food for thought and reflection!