Hand towel, plain-weave linen, elaborately decorated with blue and red cotton cross stitch as well as drawn thread panels. Hanging tabs are plain-weave linen tape, 3/8" wide and very long.
Panel #1 has "MARIA" at the top flanked by large floral trees growing out of hearts. Second line reads: "MACDALLNA DAMY" and 3rd line is: "MY HAND AND NWEDLE." Below are 5 large tree motifs grounded on a horizontal embroidered line, followed by 8 small grounded trees.
Panel #2 is a drawn thread panel w/ cotton darn-stitched designs. Drawn threads stop short of sides -- unusual.
Panel # 3 has five blue and red motifs: star at center flanked by crowned peacocks, in turn flanked by geometric motifs.
Panel # 4 is a tripartite design: center has "HF" within an ornately embroidered red and blue heart, flanked by drawn thread panels w/ cotton darn-stitched trees surmounted by birds. (Initials stand for future husband Henry Fenstermacher, married the following year,1837.)
Panel #5 is very similar to panel #3.
Panel #6 is another drawn thread panel stopping short of sides, decorated w/ cotton darn-stitched geometric designs.
Panel #7 has upper case alphabet ending with the date 1836.
Panel #8 has three lines: "CHRISTOPHER/ DAMY CATHARINE/ DAMY A D 1836." (parents)
Plain self fringe at bottom has an applied short panel of linen with an elaborate knotted self fringe.
Made by Maria/Mary Magdalena Demmy (1811-1884).
Seller pinned on a note stating the mate to this towel (made by sister Elizabeth) was sold in the Rich and Joan Smith sale for $2400, inventory # CB29. Both towels illustrated in This is the Way I Pass My Time, p. 31.
Note: Older sister Maria/Mary Demmy's taufschein is P.06.15.1.
Printed fraktur taufschein (B&BC in German) for Michael Ruthisill, born Aug. 17, 1808 and baptized Aug. 30, 1808 by Pastor (Gotthilf Henry Ernestus) Muhlenberg at the Lutheran Church in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. Parents were Philip and Susanna (Schreiner) Ruthisill and the sponsors were Michael and Catharina Ruthisill (grandparents?).
Certificate printed by Lancaster printer Benjamin Grimler in 1803. Penwork & decoration attributed to the "Ruffled Tulip Artist" by the Earnests (9-14-98). See object file for info.
Printed on laid paper, fraktur has a large central heart and two smaller hearts at bottom with verses in German in each. Large heart has main text, with blanks filled in by scrivener/artist in red ink. 1/4-inch-wide yellow border around perimeter. Hand-drawn floral motifs surround the large heart: large tulip-like flowers at top and bottom center, flowering vine at sides and smaller flowers above small hearts and within large heart. Colored in red, green and yellow.
The "Ruffled Tulip Artist" was working circa 1799-1813. He drew distinctive ruffles around large and folky tulips and infilled in German on printed three-heart forms, of which seven are known - all birth & baptismal certificates.
Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans, Vol. III, p. 128.
Ellis and Evans, History of Lancaster County, p. 498.
Earnests, Papers for Birth Dayes, Vol.II, pp. 659-60.
Provenance
Donor reports his wife has Rudisill ancestors. He and his wife received this fraktur with instructions to sell the piece upon their demise in order to pay for funeral expenses. The fraktur was never sold, even now that his own wife has died. See genealogy of Rudisill family in file, given by Lisa Garrett, cousin of donor's wife. Lisa says donor died in 1998.
Condition when received: Entire piece buckled, pasted onto brown Kraft paper. Multiple tears and losses, especially at center of right and left sides; tears and small hole at center. Some foxing, general soiling, and water damage to colors in vining at sides. Color smears and fingerprints, esp. at top and bottom floral device. Small tears and curling at most edges.
At present: Conserved, matted and placed in sealed package by Marilyn Kemp Weidner in 1999 for $1,553. Framed by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
G.98.27.1
Notes
Four other copies of Grimler's printed certificate known, according to Klaus Stopp (The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans Vol. III, p. 128). Three of these were filled out for Warwick Twp. residents;the other for a Manheim Twp. resident. This 1803 print preceded Grimler's partnership with brother Henry which opened in 1804. From 1799-1812, when Lancaster was the seat of State government, the two brothers were employed by the Legislature to do the State printing. Benjamin was elected to the Lower House of the Assembly in 1824 and died in 1832.
See Rudisill genealogy in file, given by Lisa Garrett. It states John Michael Rudisill was born 17 Aug 1808 and died 8 Nov 1843. He married Maria Magdalena Kurtz on 17 May 1829, daughter of Conrad Kurtz and his wife Susanna Barbara Erb.
Large 8" x 10" color transparency in object file.
Place of Origin
Manheim Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Daniel S. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
