Envelop aan Philip Zilcken before 1913

This is an old envelope addressed by Ernst Wilhelm Moes to Philip Zilcken, carrying a postmark and a stamp. I'm immediately taken with the handwriting, the pressure of the nib on paper. Can't you just picture Moes, dipping his pen in ink, carefully forming each letter, each word a little performance? It’s beautiful, really. So controlled, so deliberate. Look at the way the ink pools in certain spots, giving the letters depth and character. I imagine Moes chose his words carefully. An envelope is such an intimate thing, like a little secret being sent through the world, hoping to find its destination. What was inside? What did it mean to send and receive physical mail? We'll never know for sure, but we can still appreciate the beauty and care that went into its creation.