Toegangskaart voor de begrafenis van prinses Amalia van Saksen-Weimar-Eisenach, 1872 1872

This is an admission ticket to the funeral of Princess Amalia of Saxen-Weimar-Eisenach, printed in 1872. Although unsigned, we can assume that the printer used industrialized processes, most likely lithography, to produce the card. Printing enabled the mass production of images and text and involved various steps from typesetting to inking. The card's visual elements are quite simple, but the choice of typeface, paper, and ink speak to the solemnity of the occasion and the social status of those invited. Although seemingly ephemeral, this admission ticket represents the increasing commodification of life events in the 19th century, and the industrial processes developed to support them. It exemplifies how even rituals of mourning became enmeshed with production and consumption in a rapidly changing society. By considering the materiality and production of this small card, we understand better the social context in which it was created.