Framed silhouette of gentleman in profile, facing viewer's right. He is perhaps early-to-middle-age years, dressed in high collar and coat. Below is the name "Amos Ellmaker" handwritten in cursive in faded black ink.
Image is cut out of a rectangle of white wove paper, superimposed on a matching piece of black silk and secured with stitches at periphery. There is a window mat of faded marbelized paper, frame is molded walnut.
Same marbelized paper also covers back of frame. Clipping from printed biographical article is pasted to back.
Moderate wear and aging overall. Wove paper is darkened with fold lines and pin holes. Frame is worn with loose joints. Frame backing paper shows wear at corners and was cut to remove artwork, replaced and secured with cellophane tape, now removed except for bottom strip, leaving adhesive residue.
Object ID
P.03.11.01
Notes
According to the Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Amos Ellmaker (b. 2-2-1787 and d. 11-28-1851) was a man of intellect and attainment. He was grandson of immigrant Leonard Ellmaker (Germany to Earl Twp in 1726) and son of Nathaniel Ellmaker. He attended Princeton College, then law school in Litchfield, Conn. He began practice in Hbg., served as an officer in the War of 1812, later was appointed prosecuting attorney for Dauphin Co., elected to the State House of Representatives, appointed Presiding Judge for the district composed of Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties, was later appointed Attorney General of Pa., but resigned in 1821 to move back to Lancaster. Judge Ellmaker was in 1832 a candidate of the anti-Masonic party for Vice-President of the U.S. In 1816, he had married Mary Rachel Elder of Harrisburg. They had six children.
Water color portrait of a young man on wove paper. The subject depicted in full-length profile, facing to the viewer's left, with right foot in front of left. He has short black hair and is wearing a dark blue coat, white shirt with high collar, blue and white checked vest, dark gray pants and black boots. He is holding a top hat upside-down in his right hand.
The background is dominated by a blue sky with a few clouds, an orange or light brown horizon, blue-green hills and bushes (probably faded green) and brown ground.
According to the sellers, the subject is one of the Reitz (or Ritz) brothers. Catherine Reitz was the great-great grandmother of the seller, Guiles Erisman Costolo. For more info on the provenance see the file.
Artist Jacob Maentel (1763-1863) was an important itinerant portrait painter in watercolor who worked extensively in northwest Lancaster County during the first quarter of the 19th century.
Some horizontal buckling on left side, vertical buckling along top edge, but otherwise in good condition.
Conservation treatment and matting done in Feb. 1989 by CCAHA in Phila. Mat must have later been removed, so this piece was matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard in 1996.
The Buchanan home in the 19th century, with lights on inside, on front porch and lamppost in right foreground. A woman in a pink dress and bonnet is being assisted as she alights from a black horse-drawn carriage. The man helping her is attired in a formal black suit with top hat. The driver and a third gentleman are seated inside the carriage. Although flowers cascade from a planter in the foreground, the orange leaves indicated fall.
The artist signed Florence Taylor 1970 on lower right beside lamp post.
Written on the back: "Purchased at Wheatland Fallfest Auction held in front of building 5 October 1978. From Wheatland Collection. Used as cover illustration on 36-page booklet "Tour of mansion in color." Hung in the Florence Starr Taylor Show at The First Presbyterian Church, Lancaster Town Fair, October 20 and 21. 1980. (Unknown initials)
Also, taped to the back are newspaper clippings: articles/obits and funeral notice.
Sampler by Sarah Stubbs, a Quaker, in 1810 at 13 years of age. Bleached linen, plain-weave ground; all four sides hemmed with selvage on left side. Decorated with 13 floral and geometric half-medallions at periphery. Maker's name and date stitched within a central floral wreath, in turn flanked by a strand of vining border. Smaller floral motifs scattered within central area. Initials are haphazardly arranged among smaller motifs, some appearing as a list or group of initials. Embroidery done in silk, with various greens, salmon, peach, light blue, dark blue-green and tan.
Half-medallion borders are typical of Quaker samplers. This is an outstanding example of a Quaker sampler, according to Trish Herr. The Stubbs family came from England c. 1718 (Thomas Stubbs) and has a long history in Fulton Twp. Son Daniel (and wife Ruth Gilpin) Stubbs established the family in Lancaster Co. by settling along the Susquehanna River in 1767.
Sarah Stubbs is the granddaughter of Daniel and the daughter of farmer and miller Vincent Stubbs, Sr. (1753-1821) and his wife Priscilla Cooper (1765-1831). Sarah was sixth of 11 children; she married Benjamin Mason, Jr. on May 4, 1820. They had one child, a son, Vincent Mason, who was born circa 1821. Sarah likely died in childbirth.
The many initials appear to be family members. (More information in folder.)
(Written by Wendell Zercher.)
Provenance
Sampler descended through family through donor's great-grandmother, Verlinda Stubbs (1831-1912). Verlinda Stubbs came from a Quaker family, but she married Thomas Ross Neel of Drumore Twp.., who came from a Presbyterian Scots-Irish family. Verlinda was the mother of Charles Neel who was in turn the father of Thomas Ross Neel who was the father of the donor, Mrs. Mariana Neel Akerman.
Darkened with acid burn, especially at periphery. Heavy damage with losses at right edge and moderate damage along top edge. Send to conservator Dottie McCoach, May 2003 and return June 14, 2004. Now mounted in dark brown frame in exhibitable condition.
Sampler stitched by Sarah Stock in 1819 when she was ten years old. All cross stitch. Greens and black still retain color. Other faded or colors may have been white, yellow, tan or fugitive red. Border of flowers with sections of verses both sides at top of piece. Central information in black surrounded by trees, flowers birds, hearts, diamonds, two human figures and what appears to be a building bottom center. Card on back written by Mr. Harry Bochert reads: A Sampler "Wrought by Sarah Stock at the tenth/year of her age/ at Mrs. Streets School/in the year 1819."
Note: The capital letters underscored stitched extra large size in black.
Note: All other letters stitched in reduced capital letter size is black. In the upper left-hand corner she stitched in light brown letters:
"When we devote
Our youth to God
Tis pleasure to his eyes
Life's flower when offered
In the end is no vain sacrifice"
In the upper right-hand corner she stitched in light brown letters;
"Delightful task to inform
The tender mind
I lift up the truth if bent
The tree if inclined."
P.S. I found the sampler in a trunk in the cellar- it had a burnt cigarette hold - a job to decipher it but it is in excellent shape. Nearly 150 years old- what a precious heirloom.
Framed: 19.75 inches wide x 19 inches wide. Brown wood frame.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2022-06-06
Condition Notes
For a piece more than 200 years old, although fragile, it has been carefully framed and is currently well-protected. Evidence of some liquid stains, piece is brown overall. A small burn hole, mid-bottom; and another hole toward left on top.
Presentation fraktur or bookmark on wove paper and watercolor floral design made for Esther Weber and attributed to David Frey. Polychrome flowering plant rises from the bottom edge and is adorned with six red flowers. Reverse side has "Ester Weberin" above the date "1815" written in black ink in German script.
Fraktur is pressure-mounted on a light brown matboard within a small frame with walnut-veneered face. Reverse side of matboard has a window cutout covered with Mylar revealing the inscription for Esther Weber.
(Written by Wendell Zercher.)
Provenance
Information on David Frey is as of yet unpublished. Seller (Mr. Clarke E. Hess) writes: "He produced a considerable number of small bird and floral drawing (I have three) for his student in Penn, Rapho and Warwick Twps. I identified his work a few years ago. I had earlier dubbed him the "Eby Schoolhouse Artist" because of drawings that were executed for the Hans Eby family of Warwick Twp. Frey was from a Moravian family, but most certainly joined either the Mennonites or Dunkards. He died in 1841, and his will is in the Lancaster Court House."
Heavily stained in spots overall; paint losses at fold lines within top 3/4 inches of piece. Significant paper losses at top edge and minor losses at bottom edge. Spilled or errant ink marks at four point within the lower 1 3/4".
American Sheraton bookcase has a flat overhanging molded cornice. Upper cabinet enclosed by a pair of glazed doors, each with six oblong panes set in straight molded mullions. Doors flanked at sides and center by narrow plain stiles, hung with butt hinges. The lower cabinet has two raised panel doors flanked at sides and center by narrow plain stiles and hung with butt hinges. The lower cabinet has two center swing raised panel doors that surmounts four bracket feet at the corners.
Bowfront mahogany veneer chest of drawers in the Hepplewhite style. Four drawers have progressing depths from the top to the bottom, each with overpressed drawer pulls two per drawer. At the top center of each drawer is a brass escutcheon keyhole. The top of the chest and each drawer are decorated with satin wood inlay. Chest is supported at its base by four french feet which feature a slightly outswept bracket foot combined with a valence skirt.
Provenance
Dr. Alexander Speer (James Buchanan maternal cousin)
Framed theorem of stencil-painted fruit on light brown cotton velvet. Painting is a still life of variously colored fruits: melons, peaches, apricots, a half-eaten pear, grapes with leaves, plums and a pomegranate. Composed on a blue-colored base or table. An insect is depicted near bottom center below grapes.
There is no border signature or date. Frame is a flat-profiles with walnut veneer facing.
Provenance
Found in the Slaymaker attic among other framed objects, in very dirty conditions. Unknown maker, but possibly done at a Moravian school such as the one at Lititz. See Slaymakers at Linden Hall on page 147 of Slaymaker history.
Taken to Dottie McCoach for conservation June 1, 1998. Returned Sept. 17, 1998. See report in this file. After treatment the piece is still dark, stained and moisture damaged along the bottom.
Butterfly series purple transfer print. Central design features a bird, flowers and a butterfly. 3 butterflies with alternating flowers decorate the outer rim.
A purple design with "Butterfly" in the center is on the bottom of the dish. A crown with the maker's name is impressed onto the bottom: "Clews Warranted Staffordshire."
Two older stickers: "SD #49A" and "H 189."
Year Range From
1818
Year Range To
1834
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
West Wall
Storage Cabinet
Unit 33
Storage Shelf
Shelf 3
Object Name
Saucer
Width (cm)
15.24
Width (ft)
0.5
Width (in)
6
Depth (cm)
3.81
Depth (ft)
0.125
Depth (in)
1.5
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2022-10-20
Condition Notes
Color on pattern is somewhat pale and part of design appear worn off.
