Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1898

This letter was sent by Christina Elizabeth Perk in 1888, and is made from machine-made paper, printed with the word "briefkaart" - that's "postcard" in Dutch. The pink paper is thin and uniform, produced in a factory, then likely printed in bulk and sold to the public. The handwritten message in dark ink is a direct contrast to this industrial process, showing the author’s personal touch. The postal markings, rubber-stamped and applied by postal workers, mark the letter’s journey through a complex logistical network, and it suggests a society becoming increasingly standardized, and interconnected. Consider also the labor involved: from the factory workers who pulped and pressed the paper, to the postal employees who sorted and delivered the letter. Even the recipient, deeply engaged with the burgeoning culture of written communication, was a part of this modernizing world. Examining this simple piece of paper shows us that everyday objects can reveal much about labor, politics, and consumption.