Proclamatie van het Algemeen Bestuur aan de inwoners van Amsterdam, 1813 Possibly 1813

This proclamation to the residents of Amsterdam was printed in 1813 by Joan Melchior Kemper. It’s a broadside, a single sheet of paper printed with a political announcement, intended for wide distribution. The material, cheap paper, and the printing process itself are key to understanding its purpose. Movable type allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of text, making information accessible to a broader public. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paper, feel the impression of the type. The very materiality of the broadside speaks to a moment of political upheaval, a shift in power relations. In this case, the text conveys a message of liberation, announcing the end of uncertainty and the restoration of Dutch sovereignty under Willem the First. Consider the labor involved: from the making of paper and ink, to the typesetting and printing, each step contributed to the dissemination of this message. The broadside exists at the intersection of craft, design, and social context.