Tidstavle over H.C. Andersens liv 1866-1844 1930 - 1938

This page comes from Niels Larsen Stevns's "Tidstavle over H.C. Andersens liv 1866-1844," made sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s a handwritten document, created with ink on paper, and contains notes on the life of Hans Christian Andersen. The material itself—paper—suggests ephemerality, yet the ink ensures a degree of permanence. The handwritten text speaks to the labor involved; each word carefully inscribed, reflecting the artist’s meticulous attention to detail. The script itself has a casual, informal quality, as if taken directly from a journal. Consider the social context: this was made in an era when handwriting was a primary mode of communication, before the dominance of print or digital media. The act of writing, then, takes on a different meaning, imbued with personal expression and directness. It reflects a time when the pace of life allowed for such careful, considered inscriptions. Ultimately, this work invites us to reconsider the value we place on the handmade, and to recognize the cultural significance embedded within the simplest of materials and processes.