Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1929

This "Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken" was composed in the early twentieth century by Eduard August Becht, using paper, ink, and a small adhesive stamp. It's just a postcard, really, an everyday object, but consider its social context. The card itself, mass-produced, reflects the rise of industrial printing and distribution, tied to growing literacy and communication networks. Handwriting becomes a direct trace of the author; it’s a direct link between Becht’s hand, the paper, and the recipient's eye. Even the stamp, a tiny emblem of state power, speaks to the administrative structures underpinning modern life. And let's not forget the postal system, the vast network of labor that moves this small piece of paper from one place to another. So, while seemingly simple, this postcard embodies complex relationships of production, labor, and communication, blurring the lines between the personal and the industrial.