This is the Curatorial Assignment on Flea Market Archaeology for Theories of Media & Technology, DM-GY 6043-B.
Resources
My visit to the The New Palace (Potsdam, Germany).
Discussion
The building of New Palace was begun in 1763, after the end of the Seven Years' War, under King Friedrich II (Frederick the Great) and was completed in 1769.[1] Those Buttons were found on the book closet belongs to the queen during the palace was in function. Generally from 1790 Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and also known as Anna Carlovna to 1918, Empress Augusta. [2] Although it wasn't until 1831 that the electric door bell exists, a major modification of the palace was already conducted in 1806, but the exact date of those door bell buttons is still unknown.
In Gothic Font the bell carved:
XXXberobier - (OK I do not know what it was)
garderobenfrau - Wardrobe Woman
II garderobenfrau - 2nd Wardrobe Woman
schneiderin- Dressmaker
kammerfrau - Chamber Woman
Those are door bells used by maidservant to enter the book closet and living room of queen. Different bells are assigned to different kinds of visitors (who knows why). The button is carved from shell and the panel is from cooper.
References
1. Wikipedia contributors, "New Palace (Potsdam)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Palace_(Potsdam)&oldid=848539919 (accessed October 16, 2018).
2. Wikipedia contributors, "Anna Leopoldovna," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anna_Leopoldovna&oldid=844893626 (accessed October 16, 2018).
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