Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1928

This is a "briefkaart," or postcard, sent by the Dutch artist Arij Prins to Philip Zilcken. Though seemingly simple, postcards reveal a great deal about the culture of their time. Mass-produced from card stock, they benefited from industrial printing techniques. This one would have been relatively cheap to produce, and buy. You can imagine them circulating widely, connecting people across distances. Yet each one is also unique, bearing the marks of human intention – the sender's handwriting, their choice of image, and the traces of postal transit like the stamp and postmark. Reflect on the social function of this humble object. As a message medium it facilitated connection, yet also reinforced social hierarchies through the conventions of address. The ease and affordability of postcards democratized communication, but also fueled the growth of consumer culture and a new kind of mass society. So, next time you see a postcard, remember it's not just a souvenir. It’s a little piece of social history, materialized.