Gedenkschrift van de feesten in Mei 1874 ter gelegenheid van het 25 jarig jubilé der inhuldiging van Z.M. Koning Willem III door Johan Gram. Met platen naar schetsen van Henry Havard 1874

Curator: This is the "Gedenkschrift van de feesten in Mei 1874 ter gelegenheid van het 25 jarig jubilé der inhuldiging van Z.M. Koning Willem III door Johan Gram," featuring prints after sketches by Henry Havard. It commemorates the 25th anniversary of King William III’s inauguration. Editor: My word, it feels incredibly formal! So much ornate text packed onto a relatively small page… It's almost overwhelming, like being invited to a party where the dress code is explicitly spelled out. Curator: That’s rather insightful. These types of commemorative books were meticulously planned to reinforce the image of the monarchy. They weren’t just documenting events, but creating and curating public perception. Editor: I get it! So, it's not just remembering a party, but carefully scripting the memory of the party, complete with approved narratives and, I guess, elegant typography to lend a certain… weightiness. Did it work? Curator: Initially, yes, to a point. Such efforts did bolster a sense of national identity intertwined with the royal house. But increasingly, the very need for such deliberate image-making was indicative of growing socio-political tensions that would soon see the monarchy's power wane. Editor: Hmm. You know, seeing the date – 1874 – makes me wonder if the artist felt even a little ambivalent, a quiet acknowledgement of a changing order beneath all that script. Maybe that's why the decoration, though ornate, feels slightly… faded. Like grandeur trying hard to remain grand. Curator: It’s definitely a powerful artifact. A kind of decorative arts mirror reflecting the political anxieties of its time. Editor: I’ll say. Even a page dedicated to joyous events feels… weighted by history. Makes me rethink celebratory print, that’s for sure.