Algemeen Handelsblad Possibly 1940 - 1949

This is a copy of the Algemeen Handelsblad newspaper, printed on April 9, 1940, in the Netherlands. As a mass-produced object, it is made from cheap paper, manufactured on an industrial scale and printed using methods that allowed for the rapid dissemination of information. The paper’s very disposability is significant. Its thinness and coarse texture speak to its intended use as a source of momentary information before being discarded. The layout is typical of the era, with densely packed columns of text and bold headlines designed to grab the reader's attention amidst the clamor of daily life. The urgency of the news—announcing the German invasion of Scandinavia—is palpable. Consider the labor involved in producing each copy: from the forestry workers harvesting the trees to the typesetters arranging the text and the delivery boys distributing the papers. Though it conveys a historical event, it is also an artifact of the social and economic forces that shaped the world.