Telegram met gelukwensen, 1928 1928

This telegram from 1928, made by the Dutch postal service, is a paper document covered in handwriting, stamps, and typewritten text. I love that this piece is a kind of readymade, an accidental artwork generated by the bureaucratic processes of sending messages. I wonder, what was it like for the person sending this telegram? I imagine them standing at the counter, carefully crafting their message, one word at a time, to fit within the constraints of the service. I wonder what the recipient felt when it arrived? Who were Loyens and Volkmaars? The telegram itself is not precious, not something made to last. The ephemeral nature of the materials—the thin paper, the faded ink—speaks to the fleeting nature of communication, a message sent and received, then fading into history. Yet, here it is today, preserved in a museum, elevated from its original purpose to an object of contemplation. I'm really interested in these sorts of accidental art objects, ones that become precious over time.