Brief aan Jan Hendrik Maschaupt Possibly 1876

This is a letter written in 1876 by Adolphe Mouilleron. It’s made with paper, and written with ink in cursive. The materials and processes used here are not particularly unique, but they are highly indicative of the period. Consider the labor involved: the harvesting of rags to make the paper, the grinding of pigments to make the ink. Even the handwriting itself is a kind of craft; Mouilleron would have spent years perfecting his penmanship. What we see here is not just information, but a social relationship embodied in material form. Think of the way we dash off an email today; this was a much more considered, even precious, mode of communication. The very fact that this letter has been preserved in a museum speaks to the cultural value we place on such artifacts. It’s a poignant reminder that even the most mundane materials can carry profound historical significance. By looking closely at the materiality of this letter, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and economic conditions that shaped its creation.