The Analogue Comeback
May 8, 2025
Frank Berzbach
Ever since the introduction of the personal computer into our homes during the 80s, digitization has become more and more integrated into our daily lives: telephone booths, alarm clocks, wristwatches and calendars have been replaced by smartphones; vcrs, tape recorders and turntables have made way for streaming services; typewriters...
Ever since the introduction of the personal computer into our homes during the 80s, digitization has become more and more integrated into our daily lives: telephone booths, alarm clocks, wristwatches and calendars have been replaced by smartphones; VCRs, tape recorders and turntables have made way for streaming services; typewriters, pencils and musical instruments have been replaced by tablets and laptops. Nowadays, books, movies and road maps are digitally available via the Internet, while physical specialty stores are struggling because of online retail. The evolution of “new media” is seen as the almost tragic suppression of “old media” – but we can also see it in a different light.
The meaning of media has been ever-changing for thousands of years. Even with new kinds of media being added, the ones that have been established almost always stay with us. So, new media are given dominance because of their practicality, while old media are appreciated for their beauty. However, it is not a matter of choosing between either of them. After all, perceiving contrast is how we recognize the world around us: music sounds light because heavy tones exist; we see brightness after knowing the darkness; the warmth from a cup of tea feels more intense when it is cold outside. Similarly, the digital and analog worlds coexist. Part of seeing contrast is the existence of the “other side”, and by understanding the complementary conditions of both sides, we can see more clearly and be more conscious about our choices. This is why the leading role of digital media is changing our perception of analog media.
An employee of a writing implements’ manufacturer once theorized that the invention of the PC has actually been a savior for the fountain pen! Our aesthetic needs cannot be fulfilled by digital equivalents. Although they are prac-tical, they rarely are beautiful. And as fascinating and fun as they are, they lack a certain warmth and depth. The digital era has brought many benefits but also has its shortcomings.
A longing for Physical Presence
Digital dominance, still recent within the timeline of world history, has led to an analog comeback; a longing for physical presence, visibility, and tangible mechanics. Our sensory abilities call for stimuli, which is why so many of us wander around at antique fairs and vintage car gatherings, in museums of applied arts and castles. It is why we are fascinated with gramophones, typewriters and fountain pens; traditional crafts and model building; acoustic musical instruments, ghetto blasters and calligraphy; and why we have our DIY projects and handicrafts. Functionality and beauty go hand in hand, though: we do not wish to go back to sitting behind a typewriter or a potter’s wheel, day in, day out (risk of tendovaginitis), nor do we wish to live in a world where only analog photography exists (risky and expensive). Even record collectors are glad they can first hear the music via streaming services (a matter of money).
The aesthetic perception reaches beyond the visual field – there is more to this than meets the eye... We also appreciate the craftsmanship of analog objects as a complement to their mere function, whether it is about vinyl records, books, fountain or ruling pens, vintage lighters, welted shoes, or artisanal hats and umbrellas.
Electric scooters and electric bikes may be faster, but they are quite hideous to look at. This explains the revival of vintage Peugeot bicycles and the increased popularity of vintage jerseys and panniers. Old designs create an interconnected world of beauty. Those with a love for vinyl records also play them on turntables, a device that in itself is a cultural phenomenon: from the rise of the DJ culture with the Technics SL 1200 to timeless examples of perfect audio with the Thorens TD 124 DD or the Linn LP 12.
For people who love to write, it is not just a matter of choosing the writing implement. Other things also come into play: old desks, ink for fountain pens, types of paper, postage stamps, notebooks, letter openers, paperweights and letter scales – all beautiful objects. Their value is increased because their physical presence allows us to feel, smell, move and touch them; because they make us happy as we expand our knowledge through our senses; and because they are collectible and storable. Analog objects conquer time: from record and book collections to letters and diaries, photo albums, hand-blown crystal glasses and handmade porcelain – they outlast as they are inherited or disclaimed, collected, sorted and stored. For example, old crockery was made using delicate, artisanal methods. It has a fragile quality and requires to be hand-washed with care. But since the invention of the dishwasher, kitchen products have become more robust in their design.
Our sensory abilities call for stimuli
Embodiment of personal effort
EMBODIMENT OF PERSONAL EFFORT
Luckily, we can still find high-quality glasses and china at antique markets for fair prices. Have you ever toasted with crystal glasses? It produces an incomparable sound – the sound of wine. The analog experience cannot adequately be replaced by virtual means. It is relevant from a deeply aesthetic point of view, offers meaningful communication with the world and does not pretend; analog phenomena are something. The fact that they require to be handled only enhances and intensifies our perception. Analog media are making a comeback because we no longer depend on them. We can experience the joy of collecting music by discovering used LPs at flea markets and in record stores, while using streaming services to listen to music in a more practical, accessible and common way – on the move and in the car. We can google and write digital messages on a daily basis, but when we have something important to say, we write it down in a handwritten note or a letter. We own life-changing literature and holy scriptures in book form. When we are reading a paper magazine, our experience is influenced by the situation we are in, the paper we see, the results of the printing technique and design, the choice of format, and the analog silence it offers. These aspects have an impact on our life and our emotions. There are reasons why creative people nowadays indulge themselves in the analog experience in their spare time – they not only wish to gain knowledge and live intelligently but also to live creatively through touch and by saving tangible things.
Imagine walking to your front door, and instead of the bill, you find a personal letter addressed to you. How would you feel?
The postal letter is a magical medium that combines many analog techniques. It was once the most common thing in the world. A personal, handwritten letter adds a new depth to the superficial chit-chat. Philosopher Karl Jaspers described this type of personal exchange as “existential communication through which I knowingly find myself – a unique and irreplaceable being.” It can be scary to write about ourselves on such a deep level. But as Virginia Woolf wrote, “Without someone warm and breathing on the other side of the page, letters are worthless.”
Writing a letter to someone is an otherworldly process that is never straightforward. Yet it costs only a few bucks to have our thoughts and feelings transported to any place in the world; not a good investment from a commercial perspective. But a letter shows that we have thought of someone while that person was away. It gives letter-writers the opportunity to create a small work of art; snail mail no longer functions as a medium for transmitting information. Writing a letter is an atmospheric, artistic experience – a work of art with a unique aura – that takes time to complete. It starts with the choice of paper. In the words of philosopher and great letter-writer Walter Benjamin, “Avoid haphazard writing materials. A pedantic adherence to certain papers, pens, and inks is beneficial. No luxury, but an abundance of these utensils is indispensable.” Each material adds a new dimension to the letter, including the clear characteristics of a person’s handwriting. Which paper and size to use?
Which pen and ink? Perhaps use an old typewriter with its notable font? What kind of envelope? Is there room for rubber stamping? What else to add besides text? Stickers? Printed photos? A four-leaf clover or rose petals? A splash of watercolor, sealing wax, or perfume? An old photograph or a drawing? Is it time to use that amazing special stamp? (The special David Bowie stamp from Deutsche Post sold out in no time last year!) There are so many ways to add dimension to an envelope. It is more than just a “paper container” – as the “exterior”, it has its own presence. On its way, a letter transcends the boundaries between object and subject, no matter the distance. Its beauty is proven because it is neither fast nor practical. As there are other, cheaper ways of communication, a letter is the embodiment of personal effort. In the digital era, it is an act of intimacy and romance. And after the mailman has delivered the letter and its words to our front door, we save the letters under our pillow, carry them with us, keep them for life, and wrap them together with a beautiful ribbon. Often, letters are even inherited.
The letter-writing process is not just for the writer. They pick up the pen, sit down, think, formulate, express, and offer themselves to the other person – for that person also. Their letter is a seismograph of love. But – if you want to graduate from the School of Letter-Writing Magic – do not forget this one rule: always answer! We need communication in order to find ourselves, to have a window through which we can recognize ourselves. The analog world is old and different – it is “well-tempered”. There is no better way to find our own truth than through writing to someone else. It is true for every type of analog comeback – they symbolize the opposite of oblivion because they have material value: in Polaroid or Instax photos, old vinyl records, or grandfather clocks, which still run thanks to their winding mechanism. When systems become too outdated for updates, analog phenomena will still be here.