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,
Birth record in German for Barbara Eschlemann made on laid paper by Johannes Schopp/Schopf Artist. Paper has Ephrata watermark (CIB in tulip design). Framed in old frame of softwood with dark, crazed finish and applied blocks at corners.
Execution is typical of this artist's design with horizontal orientation, outer and inner double-line borders with central heart having an open ring at top from which emanate vining flowers. Space between inner and outer borders is especially full with typical flowers of muted colors as well as a crown at top and shells at top and a large one at bottom center.
(By Wendell Zercher)
Within the hearts is the text including Barbara Eschlemann's birthdate: 8 January 1777.
Provenance
Purchased by Irene Walsh from Russell D. Earnest Associates for $1,750.00. Received on 7 Dec. 2004.
Breaking at fold line; two corners missing and two corners with small holes. 3-inch tear extends from left bottom corner to right side. Tear at bottom, 2" from right corner, extends upward 1/2 inch. Additional tears with losses at bottom, esp. at center. Two extensive tape repairs made on reverse. Several moisture stains along bottom.
Fraktur presentation piece for Susanna Netzlin (Nissley?) Pressure-mounted on tan matboard and framed in small frame.
Watercolor and ink on rectangular, laid paper, done in dark brown red and yellow. Three bars of color at perimeter in red, yellow and dark green create outside border. Filling top half of inner space is the name of "Susanna Netzlin" written in large red letters, incorporating leafy vines with three different flowers.
Bottom half of page is filled with seven lines of German religious verse. Another leafy vine fills the bottom space adorned with four different flowers.
(Written by Wendell Zercher)
Provenance
Donor, Mr. Clarke E. Hess of Lititz, PA, describes this page as a presentation piece done for Susanna Nissley (?) probably in Warwick Twp. Hess cites another example of this unknown artist's work in the book Pennsylvania German Fraktur and Color Drawings by Landis Valley Associates, 1969, plate #48 (a vorschrift done in 1769).
The $975.00 cost was reimbursed by Irene. N. Walsh.
Paper embrittled and very weak. Multiple breaks, holes and tears. Large holes at center of dark brown border on right side and bottom. Multiple areas of paint loss. White fibers attached to red border at left side and bottom. Soiled and stained overall. Paper edges are uneven with minor losses, especially corners at top and bottom left. Horizontal fold across center.
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.
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.
Rococo-influenced porcelain vase with a white reserve of putti centered on a red urn-shaped body surmounts a gilt flattened ring that defines the top of the layered pedestal base.
Two curved handles in a gilt and pink vine motif are attached beneath the top edge of the vase. The body is painted red with gold foliage through flowering vines. A white spray on the face of the body is dominated by a transfer print image that depicts four women in flowing gowns.