Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1895

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande created this postcard, probably around 1895, as a means of communication within a rapidly modernizing Europe. Postcards like these offer insight into the social and cultural values of the late 19th century. The card itself, with its formal layout and multilingual text, speaks to the increasing interconnectedness facilitated by institutions like the "Weltpostverein"—an early form of global postal coordination. The German stamp and postmark, along with the address in The Hague, Netherlands, highlight the ease of communication across national borders among educated Europeans. Consider the content of the message and the relationship between the sender and recipient. These details, along with the visual elements, provide valuable information about the social networks and cultural exchanges of the time. To fully understand the significance of this seemingly simple postcard, we need to consider its historical context. Postal archives, biographical research on the individuals involved, and studies of communication technologies can provide a richer understanding of this artifact and the society that produced it.