Tien bladen met een beschrijving van de begrafenisstoet van Willem IV, 1752 1752

These ten pages describing the funeral procession of Willem IV were printed in 1752 by Pierre Gosse Junior. The words are set using movable type, a technology that democratized text, breaking the medieval monopoly of scribes. The very layout of the text, with its lists of names and titles, speaks volumes about the social order of the time. Note how many are engaged in the labor of food preparation – aides, bakers, chefs, cooks, confectioners – all in service to the deceased and his court. The printing process itself involved many hands: the type founder who cast the letters, the typesetter who arranged them, the press operator, the ink maker, and the paper manufacturer. Each of these roles contributed to the final product, a tangible record of social hierarchy and the labor required to maintain it. This reminds us that even seemingly simple objects can be understood as complex reflections of their time, blurring the boundaries between craft, design, and social commentary.