Document 1825 - 1828

Curator: Ah, here's an intriguing piece from our collection. This is a document, created sometime between 1825 and 1828, here in Amsterdam. It’s crafted from paper and employs calligraphy—look closely at the handwritten script. Editor: Wow, there's something very serene about this, you know? The color reminds me of old maps, the kind that promises buried treasures and adventures on the high seas! And the typography just feels... ancient. What was its original purpose? Curator: Well, judging from the Dutch text, it seems to be a sort of exemption certificate. "Bewijs van Vrijdom van het gewone Poortgeld" it reads - a proof of freedom from the usual gate fees to midnight, which officers of the Amsterdam civic guard did not have to pay between August 1825 to May 1826. It granted passage through the city gates without charge. Editor: So, like a VIP pass from almost 200 years ago? That's hilarious and strangely romantic. I’m trying to picture Amsterdam back then and the owner holding this to get past a gate... Who signed off on these passes? Curator: If you look here at the signatures, those belong to the city officials and military commissioners. Its issue reflects the importance of the civic guard in maintaining order and control, in the Post-Napoleonic era. Editor: It makes you wonder about their life, doesn’t it? To me, this little scrap of paper is more than just an old exemption – it's an open-door invitation to the past! And you just know the old gatekeepers had plenty of stories of those olden times! Curator: Indeed! And considering how many of these may have been issued, it tells us something important about civic bureaucracy. The handwriting becomes evidence of those bureaucratic processes… Editor: Right. For me, there is just something quietly radical in this simple design on paper; I keep getting pulled in. Thanks, bureaucracy, for unintentionally creating works of art! Curator: And thank you, for pointing out the artistry embedded in this functional artifact. I do love uncovering the layers of meaning beneath seemingly simple documents like this one.