Illustrationstavle med almanak-cirkel og fem vers 1780 - 1836

This is an Illustrationstavle med almanak-cirkel og fem vers, made by Oluf Olufsen Bagge in the early 19th century. It's made from paper, a humble material, but one deeply implicated in the rise of modern society. The surface is printed with various figures, calendars, and texts. Note the almanac circle, a kind of proto-infographic. The method of production would have involved an incised printing block, made by a trained artisan. The paper, too, would have been produced in a factory setting. The whole object speaks to a world of mass communication, where images and ideas were becoming increasingly accessible. It asks us to consider how knowledge, even of astrology and verse, becomes a commodity within the larger sphere of culture and consumption. It blurs the lines between esoteric knowledge and popular culture.