Crest of top rail, finger-molded in scalloped shaped. Horizontal splat curved upward, terminating in scroll on each end, thicker at middle. Seat is shield shape, serpentine front. Legs plain cabriole, back legs square and canted. 36.14.3 differs from 36.
Portrait/photo of William Wohlsen that has been color-tinted with chalk: light brown hair, blue eyes, light skin and pink lips. He is wearing a charcoal-colored vest and jacket; a black bow tied and light-colored shirt. Background in sepia tones. A narrow white mat borders the entire piece.
In pencil handwriting on brown paper covering on back: "William Wohlsen 1847-1912/ Photographed July 4, 1899/ by Otto E. Weber/ 106 N. Queen St./ Lancaster, Pa.
Practical Photographer."
Provenance
William Wohlsen started a planing mill after arrival from Germany. Brought brothers and sister over as well as parents. Children of Anna Dorothy Wohlsen and Henry Conrad Behrens were Dorothy, Esther and William and Henry Theodore Behrens.
Bookplate done on page removed from a book (and also attached to a blank succeeding page). Vertically-oriented design fills page, done in the style of Joseph H. McGlaughlin with his 'ribbon candy' border. Top and bottom have this band of ribbon candy border done in pink, red and blue. Remnant of side border is apparent only at right edge.
Lettering fills the central space. It reads, from top: "Property of/ John B. Zook/ Talmage/ Lanc. Co./ Pa." Zook's name is written on a banner/ribbon. At bottom, above the lower border is written: "Mar. 4, 1899." Within the lower border is the name of the scrivener: "E.B.Zook Leola, Pa." (Written by Wendell Zercher)
Generally good, but age darkened with minor soiling/staning, especially along right side. Edges of pate are torn and folded under. One inch-long vertical tear at bottom right. Breaking paper along right edge.
Watercolor of bird, fraktur-type, done for an Amish female, attributed to Amish artist.
Bird perched in stylized tree, done on plain off-white wove paper. The tree has one main trunk with five small, arching branches terminating in a globular yellow fruit. Uppermost branch ends in a tulip. Three gray-blue leaves attach to trunk. Bird has yellow body decorated with inked texture marks, brown head and wings and gray-blue beak.
Inscriptions: At bottom right in inked German script is "May 1848." At upper left, written sideways in the same hand is "Fannie Hochstetler/ 1848/ Nannie H. Beiler/ 1896.
Mounted in brown paper window mat and frame (likely by sellers for sale). Frame is flat softwood with half-lap, mitered joints and paint-decorated with a dark glaze over a medium-brown ground. Hanging ring at top. (Written by Wendell Zercher)
Provenance
According to sellers' research this may have been a gift to Fannie Hochstetler in 1848, after which she may have married and become "Nannie H. Beiler." Gingerich and Krieder record a Veronica/Fannie/Franey Hostetler (HS5362) (1840-1914) of Mifflin County who married John K. Byler (BY3566) (1831-1904) also of Mifflin Co. Thus, the Earnests are suggesting the sideways description may have been added later than the original 1848 inscription at bottom.
Bought from Russell Earnest & Associates, Nov. 2, 2001, for $1300.00.
Paper has bee trimmed, probably on all four sides. Multiple fold lines with a cluster at upper left corner, a horizontal one at 2 and 2/1 inches from bottom and a vertical one at 1 7/8 inches from right edge. Moderate to heavy soiling, especially above May 1848 date. Upper left cover has minor loss all corners have paste and remnants of paper where previously attached.
Drawing has slid askew since earlier photo. It would be easy to fix. (MAW)
Scrivened page, probably a detached page from the front of a Bible. Watercolored pink and grey over pencil layout.
Horizontal guide lines in pencil still present. Checkerboard border with single rose projecting inward from each corner, then the words" Dieses Buch/ gehoret mir/ Enos Fischer/ Lancaster County Penna/ Geschrieben den 18ten Juni im Jahr/ 1898", then a pair of tulips at the bottom.
Center of letters, flowers, and border are highlighted with a gold paint. Scrolled decoration surrounding the words "Enos Fischer" and vining and leaf decoration around the capital 'D" of Dieses and "B" of Buch.
Newly framed under glass in a gold and black painted, molded, wooden frame. (Written by Michael Middleton.)
Provenance
From Mead and Mead Antiques, York, PA for $100.00, received Oct. 18, 1997. Paid for by the Donegal Chapter of DAR,
Large square brown wool blanket has a line design woven at one end comprised of natural and brown dyed wool. All four sides of the blanket have fringe. Has wide and narrow white and brown stripes across the width of the blanket.
Watercolor painting of strawberries with no background/context, on irregularly cut plain white piece of paper. Berry stems are painted black, berries are red with green and blue sepals, and of the green leaves only one is fully veined, in black. Watercolor was overvarnished, giving a glossy finish.
Mounted on matboard with glue and placed in modern natural-finished frame with sealed back. New article on H. Lapp taped to back, numerous inscriptions on back including "H. Lapp $325 1979" at top. "Elizabeth A. Gilbert" and "56" on a circular sticker at bottom.
(Written by Wendell Zercher.)
Provenance
Bequeathed from the estate of Mary R. Gilbert. Apparently purchased in 1979 for $325.00.
Paining is of plums attached to branch with one leaf; no background, done on small plain white paper. Plums are deep purple, leaf is green and branch is brown. Pencilled sketch lines can be seen, including the veining of the one leaf. All watercolored areas have been overpainted with a glossy laquer or varnish.
Pasted onto matboard and mounted in modern lightly-stained frame with sealed back.
Note: This painting had previously been viewed using the right side (with pin holes) as the top edge. There appear to be remnants of hinges along this edge and others.
Pencil drawing of stylized flower colored with vivid watercolors; dominant flower of orange and yellow on green stem with various leaves of green and yellow; two side stems of black terminate in very stylized "fruit" at left (ball of orange, yellow and purple) and "flower" at right (4-pointed motif of purple and yellow with black dots).
At page bottom is the name "Magdalena Zimmerman" done in fraktur-style, black lettering. It would be inferred that Magdalena was the owner of the painting, and possibly even executed wither for or by this individual, but most likely for her.
Ruled paper has been hand trimmed on all four sides. Reverse has computation of addition and subtraction; also three illegible names (?) with hash marks registered below each.
(Written by Wendell Zercher.)
Provenance
This painting came from The Book Haven in Lancaster, PA, and was paid for by the Donegal Chapter of the DAR. 5 April 1996. $125.00.
