Watercolor on paper, depicting a mantel and fireplace. the mantel has numerous decorations along the top and down both sides, the largest of which, in the center, show a group of roman soldiers, lions and cherubs. the two gold andirons have devils' head on top.
The caption on the bottom reads 'MANTEL AT "HARDWICKE" LANCASTER PA: DEMOLISHED NOV: 1881/BUILT'
The neoclassical composition ornaments were probably by the notes Philadelphia manufacturer Robert Wellford. When Hardwicke was demolished in 1881, this mantel was purchased by Andre Jackson Steinman for use in his house on the corner of E. Orange and N. Shippen Streets. It is still in that building, which is now the Showcase of Fashion. (Written by Scott Sager)
Miniature Empire chest of drawers. Cherry case with mahogany veneer on drawer fronts and edges of top and bottom. Large top drawer overhangs three graduated drawers, all with cock beaded molding. Pressed glass pulls. Overhang of top is supported by S-scrolls at sides. Turned bulbous feet. Small nails with oblong heads used throughout.
Inscriptions in pencilled script: Under bottom drawer is "Made in 1845 by Daniel Kurtz, Lancaster, Pa." On back of 2nd bottom drawer is "Mrs. Kurtz Lancaster, Pa." Chest back has: "Made in 1845 by Daniel Kurtz" and chest bottom has "Flora Kurtz got 1889 from Grandmam when I was 13 years".
A business card, now in file, reads "DANIEL KURTZ./NO. 130 CHARLOTTE STREET,/LANCASTER, PA." On reverse side is written: "Made by Daniel Kurtz in the/ midsumer [sic] of 1845 and/ presented to Miss Lizzy Stoner/ as a token of respect/ Lizzie Stoner who in the/ same year 1845 became his/ wife, later the mother of/ E.S. Kurtz."
Daniel Kurtz, son of Conrad, was raised in the Golden Triangle area. In 1847 he renovated the "Overlook" house on Fruitville Pike and lived there until listed in 1860 Census in the SE Ward of the City
Provenance
File states donor (Mary Herr Glenn) acquired this piece from her neighbor Florence Kurtz, later Mrs. Daniel Musselman Groff.
Maker Daniel Kurtz was a carpenter/builder. Son Emanuel S. Kurtz became a job printer, resided on Church St. and Florence (Flora) was his daughter. She, at age 13, was the recipient of the chest from her "grandmam" (Lizzie Kurtz) in 1889. How and when donor acquired this chest from her neighbor Florence is unknown.
Under bottom drawer is "Made in 1845 by Daniel Kurtz, Lancaster, Pa." On back of 2nd bottom drawer is "Mrs. Kurtz Lancaster, Pa." On chest back is: "Made in 1845 by Daniel Kurtz" and chest bottom: "Flora Kurtz got 1889 from Grandmam when I was 13 years".
Inscription Type
Inscription
Object Name
Chest of Drawers
Oither Names
Miniature Chest Of Drawers
Material
Wood, Glass
Height (in)
11.25
Width (in)
8.75
Depth (in)
5
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2015-05-12
Condition Notes
Multiple blemishes overall. Top has 2 losses of veneer at right and 1 at left end. Bottom has veneer at back left edge, as well as a repaired break of this corner with leg. Long crack along grain at back.
Jacquard coverlet, cotton warp and wool weft. Wool is dyed with madder red, indigo blue and green. Made with a 4 & 1 tiedown weave structure. Joined at center seam.
Corner block reads: "Made by J. Witmer, Manor Township, for Mary Shopf, 1840."
Note: Mary Shopf''s 1841 sampler is G.80.137.1.
Witmer, Jacob (1797 - 1887) Extant coverlets: 1837-1851
Provenance
Descent: Maker Mary Shopf Hertzler to daughter Mary Hertzler Herr to son Amos Herr to daughter and donor Anna C. Herr Wilkinson.
Genealogy: Mary Shopf (1 Feb 1823 - 12 Mar 1903) m. Rudolph Hertzler, dau. Mary Hertzler (16 Aug 1849 - 14 Apr 1929) m. Christian Herr, son Amos Herr (b. 1876) m. A.M. Hollinger, dau. Anna C. Herr m. Harold Wilkinson." (Anna is donor)
Maker was possibly the daughter of Henry Shopf & Elizabeth K. Kauffman. Henry was from Manor Twp.
Jacquard coverlet. Cotton warp, dyed blue weft. Dyed wools are two tones of blue and two tones of red. Center seam. Head binding, madder brown print cotton. Center field- fronds in pinwheel cofiguration. Outer border- 2 alternating 2-storied bldgs. with windows. Corner blocks have
"Made by J. Witmer Manor Township for Catherine Sauder 1850"
Watercolor on paper of the Hardwicke mansion; beige coloring with gray/white roof and columns, green shutters on windows. The main section of the house has a grand elliptical facade with four monumental columns. The section adjacent to this has arched windows. The house continues in several smaller sections to the viewer's right; one of these sections is a greenhouse. The surrounding area is filled with grass and trees. NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
The painting has a caption at the bottom which reads '"HARDWICKE" NEAR LANCASTER PA'. The painting is dated "Nov. 1881" in the lower right corner.
Hardwicke was the country seat of the attorney and judge Charles Smith who married Jasper Yeates' daughter; it was built east of Lancaster, overlooking the Conestoga River, in about 1804. It may have been designed by Stephen Hills, who also designed the Old Capital Building in Harrisburg. John J. Snyder states the house was "the most sophisticated and most elegant Federal mansion in Lancaster County." He says the Smiths moved to Baltimore in the 1820s, after which a son of ironmaster Robert Coleman owned the building.
Hardwicke later became the summer home of the Cassatt family where artist Mary Cassatt was born (1844). Apparently a Colonel Wiley owned it when the railroad demolished it in Nov. 1881.
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
10.16
Height (ft)
0.3333333333
Height (in)
4
Width (cm)
20.6375
Width (ft)
0.6770833333
Width (in)
8.125
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
The front of the painting is in almost perfect condition, except for a few small brown dots; the reverse has several glue stains in the corners and along the sides where the paper was apparently attached to a previous backing.
Mounted in a hinged window mat.
Object ID
P.77.31.10
Place of Origin
Manheim Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
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
Flat, brown, tooled leather case. Tooling has criss-cross, dot, and star patterns. Rounded on one end, open on the other. Small pointed flap at open end. Hard leather.
Signature quilt, Bear's Paw or Goose Tracks pattern, made of pieced and appliqued solid red and white cottons. Bear's Paw blocks are 9.5-10", made of 9 squares. The four corner white squares each have 2 red triangles & a square appliqued onto white to created pattern. Each center patch has a hand-penned signature.
Upper left block reads: "THE PROPERTY of Elizabeth Mann of Manor Township County of LANCASTER PA 1852." Remaining 35 blocks bear signatures of relatives and friends from Lancaster, York and Union Counties. Design blocks separated by 4" wide pieced white sashing; several horizontal sashes misaligned. Red binding stitched to front, wrapped and stitched to back. Backing is the same white cotton.
Hand quilted in white. Design blocks have lattice except for parallel lined in signature patch. Vertical sashing has vine with large flowers and large round berries? on vine. Horizontal sashing has large flower flanked by two long leaves and a line of rings within.
Made by family and friends of Elizabeth B. Mann (1832-1906) before her 1854 marriage to Eli C. Shuman (1830-1916), son of Jacob and Fanny Shuman of Washington Boro. See NOTES
Provenance
Quilt passed from maker to daughter Ida Shuman Willis to daughter Miriam K. Willis (single) who, at age 85, sold the quilt to Michael Rizzuto, an appraiser in York Springs, Pa. He then sold to Heritage Center.
Top has a sprinkling of various small stains and light soil. Back has increased soil, many small stains with some very dark.
Structurally very good condition.
Object ID
P.88.13.1
Notes
Elizabeth and Eli moved in 1860 to a 200-acre farm called "Bunker Hill Farm" in the Good Hope area of Cumberland Co. They raised 10 children and were then buried at Hope United Methodist Church on the Carlisle Pike.
See file for listing of signature names, places and relationships.
Place of Origin
Manor Twp.
Credit
Generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Baskets quilt, all cotton, has 16 pieced blocks on point alternating with white blocks. Pieced blocks center a basket of a yellow foliate print and a red print of small squares, all on a ground of the same red print. The yellow basket handle is appliqued. The 5"-wide outer border, the back, and the applied binding, are white cotton. Cotton batting.
Hand-stitched quilting designs, pencil lines still visible. The basket blocks have 2 strings of diamonds, a triangle, 3 hearts and a fleur-de-lis. Alternate white blocks have a large flower at center and a 3-leaf motif in each corner. Perimeter open triangles have a diamond grid. Border has running cable.
Provenance
Quilt was made by Elenora Brackbill, donor's aunt, who lived and died in Strasburg area. Donor believes the quilt was made for her own birth (Oct. 16, 1913). Elenora was a single woman and a "practical" nurse who assisted with births, nursing adult patients and cleaning. Elenora first lived in one half of the house on the family farm with her single sister Mary. The family farm was located near the Strasburg Mennonite cemetery just west of Strasburg.
Elenora and Mary then moved to 209 W. Main St. in Strasburg when donor was in her 20s (i.e., 1930s). Elenora died at age 95 and is buried in Strasburg Mennonite cemetery. Donor recalls the family all attending St. Michael's Lutheran Church on E. Main St. They were not Mennonite and did not dress plain. Maker's parents were Amos Brackbill (1840-1913) and Hannah Catherine Bair Brackbill (1849-1922).
Quilt was never used according to donor, however there are minor stains and soiling at various points on front and back, including some acid burn where likely exposed to wood. Pencil marks for quilting very evident.
Object ID
G.01.46.01
Place of Origin
Strasburg
Credit
Gift of Hannah C. Brackbill, Heritage Center Collection
Pieced and appliqued block quilt of cotton with floral pattern on white ground and eagle quilting.
Top is pieced with floral blocks on point alternating with white open blocks (approx. 8.5" sq.). There are 64 stylized/geometric pieced flowers (peonies?) of 6-petals. Flower top is a red floral print; lower part is a green floral print. Stem and leaves are appliqued. Floral blocks arranged in 8 columns of 8.
The 49 open blocks are quilted with a spread eagle with shield; border triangles have a feather. Back of white cotton is wrapped to front to create narrow binding. Cotton batting.
Elizabeth Schneider Mann (10/8/1780 - 3/25/1870) was raised in East Donegal Twp, the daughter of George Schneider/Snyder and wife Anna Margaretha. Her birth is recorded in the records of the Maytown Lutheran Church. She made quilt around 65 yrs. of age, during her marriage to Johannes/John Mann, farmer of Manor Twp., just east of Washington Boro. The Mann family was Lutheran.
Provenance
Descent in family from parent to child:
Maker to George Snyder Mann (1822-1912) to Abram Kauffman Mann (b. 1864), to George Snyder Mann to Richard H. Mann, M.D., husband of donor.
Exhibited 2004 in "Home Sweet Home"
Featured in Dec. 2007 "McCall's Quilting: The Art of Vintage Quilts"
Wear and deterioration with many holes on the white flowers of the red print of more than half the floral blocks. Two grayish liquid stains on green print of two separate peonies. Minor light brown/yellow stains across surface and along edges, especially upper left edge. Needle holes along all four edges, suggesting previous mounting. Reverse has some acid burn at folds and a small stain. See condition report in file.
Object ID
G.96.07.1
Place of Origin
Manor Twp.
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of Mary Jane Mann in memory of Richard H. Mann, M.D
