Twee prentbriefkaarten van koningin Wilhelmina in een slee en op bezoek in Zwolle

These two postcards of Queen Wilhelmina in a sleigh and visiting Zwolle are photographs, likely printed using mass production techniques typical of the period. Looking closely, the photographic image is key. Photography, although relatively new at the time, was increasingly accessible and affordable, making it a popular medium for capturing and disseminating images of royalty. The material qualities of the postcards – the paper stock, the ink, the resolution of the photograph – all speak to a moment of technological change and increasing access to visual media. Consider the labor involved: from the photographer capturing the image, to the workers in the printing press churning out copies, to the postal workers delivering them across the country. These postcards represent a complex network of production and consumption, tied to wider social issues of class, labor, and the burgeoning culture of celebrity. They are not just images, but artifacts of a rapidly changing world.