Bloc magazine summer 25.

37 For centuries, passports weren’t for the masses. They were reserved for nobles, merchants, and those on state business. They didn’t prove your identity or nationality, they simply said someone important vouched for you. That all changed in 1858, thanks to a botched assassination attempt. Enter Felice Orsini, an Italian revolutionary who used a British passport, gifted by a friend, to enter France and try to kill Emperor Napoleon III. The French were understandably furious, and Britain, in damage-control mode, revamped its passport system to include proper identification, not just permission to travel. But the real turning point came after the First World War. With empires collapsing and borders redrawn, Europe saw an explosion of displaced people. In 1921, international powers created the modern passport-complete with a photo, nationality, and standardised design to restore order and regulate movement. So next time you flip through the pages of your navy blue UK passport, remember: it’s not just a travel document it’s the product of centuries of history, diplomacy, and the occasional anarchist plot.