Toegangskaart aan Ary Johannes Lamme 1865

In Paris, in May 1865, Richard Seymour-Conway, the 4th Marquess of Hertford, penned this admission ticket to Ary Johannes Lamme. It’s a simple piece of stationery, brought to life by the hand. The flowing script, achieved with a quill or fine pen and ink, speaks of the Marquess's education and status. But consider, too, the unseen labor involved in the production of the paper itself, the processing of raw materials into a refined surface ready to receive the mark. The manufacture and distribution of paper was a key component of nineteenth-century capitalism. The invitation opens a window into the exclusive social circles of the era, and how the handwritten note created a personal touch that mass-produced invites could never replicate. It reminds us that even seemingly simple materials and processes are embedded within wider social and economic systems.