Framed fraktur birth & baptismal certificate (taufschein/B&BC) for Elisabetha Elser, drawn, lettered and colored by hand on laid paper. Symmetrical, horizontal design is attributed to the "Ehre Vater" artist. Fraktur is mounted on thick paperboard with beveled edges, and is float-mounted on a buff-colored matboard within a modern black frame.
At center is a large circle painted red and green. Inside the circle, set onto yellow ground, is a heart with blue border and pinkish interior. Interior text states Elisabetha Elser was born in Warwick Twp, Lancaster Co. on 19th Nov 1803. Her parents were Peter Elser and wife Elisabetha, born a Wachter. Baptism was held by Pastor Schulz and the sponsors were Georg Wachter and his wife Margaretha (believed to be a sister of Peter Elser). Below circle are two lines of religious verse, translated by Weiser as "A heart that loves Jesus knows no worries -- much cross, need and pain are his days of joy."
At lower right and lower left are two large compass-drawn spheres colored with green, yellow, red, blue and pink. Out of each sphere is a flowering plant on which large parrot-like birds perch, similarly colored.
Attributed to the "Ehre Vater Artist" (active c. 1782-1828).
Some surface soil. Good color retention. Needs to be removed from backing board and conserved.
Object ID
2017.999.1
Notes
Appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. He attributes fraktur to the Ehre Vater artist, a prolific artist who travelled far and wide producing fraktur for many years. This fraktur likely related to Johannes Schnierer B&BC, 2004.718, due to Johannes Schnierer (b. 1786) later marrying an Elser (Catharine).
Papers for Birth Dayes notes on page 227 that this fraktur was exhibited as #38 in the , Allentown Art Museum show in Allentown, PA, "Pennsylvania Folk Art," October 20-Dec. 1, 1974.
The Elser, Weidman/Weydmann, and Wachter families were intermarried.
Birth & Baptismal Certificate (B & BC) attributed to teacher K. F. Seybold (arctive c. 1813-1846) for Catharina Laugomar, born 16 Mar 1828 in the kingdom of Wurtenburg, now Germany. She was baptized by Magister Frass & witnessed by Johan Georg Abele and wife Anna Catharina, nee Bay(in).
Executed on wove paper with ink & unusual coloring. Yellow, blue and red are used. Page is pasted onto paperboard. Within a line border is an off-center heart in upper 3/4 of design. Heart has a bible verse in upper section and short prayer below, followed by 1847. Heart decorated with flowers along top & sides with color-striped curtains (?) draping off upper sides of heart. Bottom tip of heart has long, radiating, colored leaves, also decorated with colored "pearls". is a text block in German noting the birth and baptism of Anna Catharina Laugomar, born 1828 in Wurtzburg (now in Germany). Master Frass baptized Anna Catharina and Joh. Georg Abele and wife Ana Catharina nee Bay(in) were witnesses. At bottom of design, outside of border has swags edged in more colored "pearls". Reverse side has typed translation (not pencil corrections by Fred Weiser) by Rev. Harvey Swanson, 538 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster.
Pasted onto paperboard. Darkening from acid burn; blotchy staining overall but darker at top center and left as well from heart bottom to bottom of text. Vertical tears at top center; tape stain visible underneath. Bottom left corner torn off. Needs to be removed from acidic board.
Object ID
2017.999.22
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #21 during this event.
Artist Karl Friedrich Seybold immigrated from Germany to America in 1806. By 1813 he was a schoolmaster in Northampton Co. and later in Lancaster Co.
Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificate for Lidia Rothrock, born 9 Jan 1842 to parents Jacob Rothrock and wife Elizabeth nee Epler(in) in Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co. Baptised 31 Aug 1842 by Pastor Gerhard; parents were sponsors.
Conventional angel form has tall text block between confronting angels; one holds a wreath, the other a bird. Eagle at top center and large perching birds at bottom corners. Imprint at very bottom is "Gedruckt und zu haben bey G.S. Peters, -- Harrisburg, Pa." This color-printed form was printed between 1840 and 1842. See K. Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74
Printed in Harrisburg, PA by G. S. Peters; Infill & decoration likely Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co.
Provenance
Unknown. Donor Kathryn Feagley (1895-1986) and husband Joseph C. Feagley (1895-1971) were Lancaster City residents.
Some brown stains, hazy stains from bottom center to page center and Southeast of the eagle. Some foxing at side edges. A 2 1/4" tear at left center and 1" tear above right center. Small adhesive paper stick on back.
Object ID
1975.031
Notes
One of the fraktur collection appraised by Pastor Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. Numbered #33.
This color imprint was produced by Gustav S. Peters between 1840 and 1842 according to Klaus Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Color lithographed Memento Mori on heavy tan paper depicts a scene in a church graveyard. A grieving couple, likely the parents, dressed in early 19th c. black mourning clothes, stand by a church with a large urn-topped tombstone underneath a green weeping willow tree. Gentleman gestures toward the stone with the side printed at top "IN / MEMORY / OF", followed by 2 sets of 4 lines in ink. First is "Henry Augustus was / born Sept, 10th 1829, / Departed this life / August 27th 1833,". Next is "Nathaniel was born / January the 24th 1835 / Died January 25th / Anno Domini 1835". These 2 sons both died an early death. No surname is given.
Printed underneath the border of this scene is "LITH. & PUB. BY N. CURRIER" at left and "2 SPRUCE ST. N. Y." at right. The number "280" is at center. Printed in New York City.
Printer: Nathaniel Currier, Infill by unknown
Provenance
Memento Mori - Remember that you have to die. Printed by Nathaniel Currier, circa 1830s
Artwork designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the unpredictable nature and fragility of life. This scene depicts a church graveyard and a grieving couple all in black mourning clothes. The urn on top of the tombstone symbolizes death since urns were often used in Greece and Rome to store cremated remains. The weeping willow, so named because of the way raindrops run down its long leaves causing some to think it looks like the tree is crying, serves to reinforce the emotions of grief and mourning.
The remembrance is particularly somber since it mentions the name of two children - Henry Augustus (1829-1833) and Nathaniel (1833).
Considerable foxing with gray soil darkening the paper at upper corner area but smaller areas extending along both right edge and top edge. Some soil at upper left side. All edges have been hand-cut. Reverse has heavy foxing with streaks of dark brown soil and acid burn from backing. Some ink spots. Stamped "PROPERTY OF / LANCASTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY".
Object ID
2004.744
Notes
Appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. This certificate designated #44.
Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning 'remember you must die'. It is the medieval Latin Christian theory and practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits.
Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888) in 1840 began to move away from job printing and into independent print publishing. He printed this and other versions of this scene in the 1840s.
Fraktur presentation piece on wove paper, horizontal orientation. Green and brown designs and lettering. Has a foliate border w/ flowers at top center and corners. Large heart dominates design with 5 lines of religious text, and signed at the bottom stating fraktur was made for Anna Funck on 15 Dec 1824 by J. Eberman, schoolmaster. Acanthus like leaves surround heart with several flowers. Five baskets with flowers complete design.
Text: "Jesus ist der schonste nam / Aller, die von himmel kommen, / Huldereich, prachtig, tugendsam, den Gott / Selber angenommen, seiner grossen / lieblichkeit, gleicht kein name weit und breit. / Gemacht von Anna Funck, den 15ten December 1824. J. Eberman / Schul Meister".
Translation: "Jesus is the most beautiful name of all who which came from heaven full of protection, glittering, virtuous, whom God himself, except; His great loveliness is equalled by no name far and wide. Made for Anna Funck 15 December, 1824 (J. Eberman, Schoolmaster)"
Very light age coloring. Two large brown stains / burns at lower left corner. Smaller stains elsewhere. Dog-eared corners. Mounted in a white window mat hinged at top.
Family record written on both sides of a detached page from a Bible. First side has a foliate perimeter border w/ three flowers along top. Additional flowers decorate inside corners. Large oval contains family info, but only the first 1/3 of the page is written in Fraktur style lettering (father, mother, marriage and one daughter). Attrib. to John Eberman who has drawn lines as guides for his scrivening. At top is Johannes Kredi, born 24 Dec 1794, his wife Magdalena, born 16 Jan 1797 and their marriage 20 Feb 1823. Following is daughter Veronica, b. 1824 (later called Fanny).
Additional entries in plain German handwriting. First entry lists both John, born 1826 and death of mother the same year; certainly caused by childbirth. Below a line border entry records John and new wife "Margred" b. 1807, married 11 Oct 1827. Below a line border is birth of Jacob, 1828.
Second side has 4 entries within the bleed-through of the large oval, each separated with a border filled with "X"es and each line hand-ruled. First is Henry, b. 1830; second is "Davit" b. 1834; third is "Benjemin" b. 1836 and fourth is Elizabeth b. 1839.
Yellowed paper has fooxing and fairly dark stains throughout, esp. heavy along bottom border. Vertical and horizontal fold lines are fragile with some breaking at page edges.
Object ID
2017.999.21
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #34 during this event.
Johannes died 31 March 1851. One year before his death, family is listed in 1850 Census in Manor Township:
