Brief aan Filippo Tessaro Possibly 1872 - 1876

This letter to Filippo Tessaro was written by Dirk van Lokhorst using paper, ink and pen in the nineteenth century. At first glance, a sheet of paper may seem a humble thing, but it's worth considering the social context in which this object was produced. In the 1800s, the material would have been manufactured from plant fibers or rags through a labor-intensive process. This letter offers a glimpse into the world of nineteenth-century commerce and personal communication, where handwriting was the primary means of correspondence, with each stroke of the pen bearing the mark of the writer's hand. The uniformity of the lines speaks to the skill of the penman, but also to a standardized system of writing instruction tied to class and education. The writing itself conveys social and economic meaning, as does the physical reality of the letter. Examining this simple document, we can appreciate the human effort and resources involved in its creation, blurring the lines between everyday communication and historical artifact.