Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen 1873

This letter, dated February 6th, 1873, was written in Paris by P.J. Pilgeram. The materials are simple: paper, and ink applied with a pen. Yet, the artifact speaks volumes about the social context of its creation. Note the handwriting, which is of course unique to the author. It suggests a certain level of education and social standing. The letter itself communicates across distance, an act that presupposes a postal system, infrastructure, and a recipient who is literate. The communication hints at the movement of goods, referring to 'the unpacking'. This connects the letter to wider systems of trade, transport and commercial exchange. The care and precision invested in the penmanship suggests a personal investment in maintaining a professional relationship. Ultimately, this humble piece of correspondence reminds us that even the simplest objects are embedded in a web of social and economic relations, bearing witness to human connection through labor, literacy and exchange.