Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1917

This postcard, sent by Adriaan Pit to Philip Zilcken in 1917, is made from a thin, pulped card, industrially produced and printed with the bare minimum of decoration. The card itself speaks to the rise of mass communication, and the ever-increasing speed of exchange at the turn of the century. Its material qualities – the smooth surface of the card, the standardized format – are all products of industrialization. However, the handwritten message and address, penned in ink, reveal a more personal touch. Note Pit’s elegant cursive; the pressure and flow that gives it character. This use of skilled handwriting is a direct contrast to the mass-produced card itself, an assertion of individuality within a world of increasing standardization. The postal markings—the stamp, the postmark—further emphasize the card's journey through the industrialized postal system. Even the cancellation mark, applied with a mechanical stamp, adds to the card's layered materiality. So, consider this brief communication not just as a message, but as a physical embodiment of the shifting social and economic landscape of the early 20th century.