Describing the epistolary practices of the Dutch elite in the period 1770-1850, this book shows how cultural ideals of sincerity, individuality and naturalness influenced the style and contents of letters and argues for the vital importance of correspondence to the performance of class, gender and familial identities.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1857. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.