Aflevering van de Extraordinaire Leydse Na-Courant 19 september 1787 1787

This is a copy of the Extraordinaire Leydse Na-Courant, printed on September 19, 1787, by the widow Anthony de Klopper and Son. It is made of paper, a relatively inexpensive and ubiquitous material even at this time. The process of printing – the arrangement of type, inking, and pressing – allowed for relatively quick reproduction and distribution. This particular example probably involved typesetting by hand, imprinting each character onto the page. Imagine the work involved in setting up a whole page of type. The paper itself speaks to the rise of literacy and a growing public sphere. Newspapers allowed for the relatively rapid dissemination of information across geographical distances, influencing public opinion. We can also consider the labor of those who produced the paper, collected the news, and distributed the final product. The newspaper is a testament to a specific moment, full of social and political tensions and, in its materiality, also bears witness to the labor involved in its making. It's a reminder that even seemingly ephemeral materials carry significant cultural weight.