Annales de la Société archéologique de Namur c. 1870

This is the cover of "Annales de la Société archéologique de Namur," a journal published in 1870 by Ad. Wesmael-Charlier. Made with paper and ink, it’s a humble object. The rough paper cover and the letterpress printing speak to the industrial processes then standard for disseminating information. But don't overlook the labor involved. Someone had to set each letter by hand, ink the press, and carefully bind the pages. The cover's design, though simple, conveys the society's mission: to study the past, using then-current technology to distribute that knowledge. The journal itself is evidence. It reflects the era's belief in progress, with archaeology playing a key role, and the cover illustrates this intersection of historical inquiry and industrial production. It invites us to consider how the mass production of printed material helped shape our understanding of history itself.