Bound German New Testament with fraktur bookplate pasted inside front cover. The NT has a reddish-brown leather cover with two small leather and metal clasps attached to back cover.
Bookplate fills entire page of inside front cover, albeit sideways. Infill attributed to Cocalico Twp schoolmaster & fraktur artist/scrivener Samuel Bentz, it reads "Margaret Weidman/ her/ Testament." These words are intertwined with red and green vining tulips growing from a red base across the bottom.
The name "Andrew Weidman" is written on the last page of the NT.
Attributed to Samuel Bentz (2-26-1792 to 3-21-1850, active c. 1810-1848).
Provenance
The donors acquired this NT with bookplate at a farm sale in Cocalico Township, along with G.77.50.8 (Weydman fraktur). Given to LCHS with the understanding that it would become part of the Heritage Center Collection.
Bookplate has several tears around the edges and brown marks around the black and red areas of the design. The lettering has bled through the first two pages of the book.
A condition assessment and proposal for storage was made by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia in 1986.
Numerous scratches and marks on the NT cover; significant crackling on the spine. The metal latches are rusted where they connect to the leather.
Object ID
G.77.50.5
Notes
See G.77.50.8 for Birth Certificate of brother Jacob Weydmann, born 1762.
See also Paul Flack Sale of Oct 2012 by Pook & Pook for Birth Certificate of sister Catharina, born 1768.
See Bentz entry in Papers for Birth Dayes, p. 90.
Place of Origin
Cocalico Twp.
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Deed (indenture) printed by Ephrata Cloister on vellum for John Miller, blacksmith of Lancaster Borough, and his wife Elizabeth, for use in selling lots in the "Town Called "Millers Burgh." Blank areas are filled in by hand for sale of property to Margaret Stout for 50 pounds. Initially filled in on May 1, 1764, and completed at bottom on March 8, 1765. Pink linen ribbons and red sealing wax are affixed at bottom right. The headpieces printed at top left is done in elaborate letter style using the first two words "This indenture." Each initial line is done in the distinctive illuminated manner of Ephrata Cloister, employing floral and foliate designs.
Reverse is also used as a deed for the transfer of property for Margaret Stour to Patrick McElkar, begun 1770 and completed 1771. Red linen ribbons and red sealing wax are affixed to bottom right (of reverse).
Generally good, darkened and soiled on sections of reverse side, sprinkled stains and light soiling overall. Bottom right corner torn off. Three vertical and two horizontal fold lines.
Framed for 2006 Printed Word Exhibit.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2004-07-28
Condition Notes
Generally good, darkened and soiled on sections of reverse side, sprinkled stains and light soiling overall. Bottom right corner torn off. Three vertical and two horizontal fold lines.
Fraktur birth certificate for Lydia Glasz / Glass, daughter of Leonard Glass and wife Christina, nee German. Hand drawn and colored on paper. Unusual confronting women with yellow dresses and red parasols flank central textblock within border. Tree of life above textblock; undulating plant w/ flowers sit on shelf at sides. Triple-line outside border.
German text translates to "Lydia Glasz daughter of Leonard Glasz and his wife Christina a born German. Was born 25th day of Jan. in the year of our Lord 1811.
Some buckling of paper overall. Some bleeding of ink, causing brown marks around letters; also in entire upper left corner. Small 1.4" brown streak below the word "Christina" in center panel.
Condition report of 1986 by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Phila. in file. No documented treatment. Matted and framed in 1996 by conservator Brian Howard.
Object ID
P.77.12
Notes
Similar to designs of Plate #61 in Weiser & Heaney, Penna. German Fraktur of The Free Library of Phila., v.1.
Research: Ancestry.com gives the marriage of fraktur recipient Lydia Glass to John Kempfer on 20 Nov. 1828 in Ephrata at the Bethany United Church of Christ. Husband John was born 19 Feb. 1809, died 4 April 1865. Lydia died 24 June 1853. Their daughter Elizabeth Kempfer (1836-1909) married David Rudy Buch (1834-1925) and lived in Lititz.
Ancestry also gives the 1810 Census in Earl, Lancaster Co. that lists Leonard Glase with 4 household members under 16 yrs., 1 at 16-25 yrs., and 2 over 25 yrs. Total of seven in home. Lydia was born the following year in 1811.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Birth & baptismal certificate on laid paper. Printed form with central textblock in German within a multiple line border. Infilled and decorated around textblock by Speyer; cross-legged angel at top, pelicans feeding young at sides and flowers at sides and bottom. Watercolors are red, blue, yellow, green and brown.
Infilled for Johannes, son of Valiendein (Valentine) and Eliesabetha (Elisabetha) Bohmer of Brecknock Township in Lancaster Co., born Dec. 13, 1788.
Georg Friederich Speyer (active 1774-1801) used this printed form produced c. 1789 by Barton & Johnson of Reading. See Notes.
General wear with numerous creases and wrinkles; one pronounced vertical centerline crease. Repaired tears, esp at left edge. All edges are ragged and uneven, esp. at right.
Conserved by CCAHA in 1989 (see report in file). Hinged into window mat & back mat. Relaced in its original frame using UF-3 Plexiglas and acid-free cardboard on reverse with a taped mylar dust shield.
Object ID
G.77.50.1
Notes
Printed form by Reading printers Thomas Barton and Benjamin Johnson, circa 1789 (see Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the Pa. Germans, v. 4, p. 84). Speyer used this printed form for Johannes Bohmer who was born the previous year in1788.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Birth & Baptismal Certificate for Maria "Temi" (Demmy) printed in German language by "Johann Ritter und Comp." of Reading. Darkened golden oak frame.
Central text within boilerplate border; a putto above, angels standing on clouds at top sides and birds on branches at lower sides. Text infilled by unknown hand states Maria was born Oct. 26, 1806 in Manheim Twp. to Christoph Temi and his wife Catarina, nee Etienne. Maria was baptized May 10, 1807 by Rev. August Miehlenberg and the witnesses were Mathis Wolff and his wife Maria. Infill in printed fraktur hand includes interesting line extensions drawn to fill in gaps
Heavily watercolored with dense reds, blue and green on all images and borders. This version of Ritter's print is one of many variations printed in the early 1820s (see Klaus Stopp, pp. 182-186).
Inscribed "Mary" twice at top of reverse side; once in pencil and once in brown ink with decorative scrolling line surrounding name.
Note: See hand towel (P.04.26.1) done by "Maria Macdallna Damy" in 1836 (Younger sister of Maria). Another nearly identical towel (Plate 14 in This is the Way I Pass My Time) was done by sister Elizabeth Damy in the same year. Both sisters married the following year in 1837, Maria to Henry Fenstermacher, whose initials are on her towel in a central heart. Also included on towel are parents' names "Christopher and Catharine Damy."
Printed by Johann Ritter in Reading, PA; Lancaster County infill by unknown scrivener.
Age darkening & soil overall w/ darkest staining/soiling in upper area. Several small breaks; holes caused by green paint (branch at lower right, upper cornucopia and stalks opposite cornucopia).
Modern "revivalist" fraktur created by Professor H. J. Kauffman's caretaker/nurse, Arlene Harnish. Mounted in handmade wood frame with corner blocks.
Marriage and birth certificate done on tinted laid paper with various colors. Within a border are three panels, the larger central panel has the text: "Henry Ka/uffman/Son of David and Anna/Kauffman was born on/November 14, 1908 in Yo/ork County, Pa. Married/ Elizabeth Zoe Tomer/July 20, 1938." Signed at the bottom "A Harnish" The two side panels are nearly symmetrical, featuring flowering plants growing out of a colorful pitcher resting on a stepped pedestal. A large colorful bird is perched in each of the plants.
Frame was made by HJK in earlier years.
1704 Millersville Pike, Lancaster
Provenance
Made by Arlene Harnish (b. 13 March 1946), caretaker of Henry J. Kauffman. She stated on 30 May 2000, that she learned to make fraktur by taking a class at Landis Valley Museum taught by Jere Kickerman. This piece was only the second fraktur she made, the first being the project for the class, done for her granddaughter.
Harnish made this fraktur for HJK during working hours at his residence when another was pressing. She copied motifs from a book. When completed, HJK told her to look for a frame in the basement. The one she found turned out to be one made by Kauffman himself. Harnish expressed shock and embarrassment upon learning that Kauffman had donated her fraktur to a museum. Arlene is Mrs. R. Edwin Harnish, 1586 Georgetown Rd. Christiana, PA phone: 5292712.
Modern fraktur and frame in excellent condition. The handmade from has small crack in top left corner block where nailed. Wood stain shows brush marks. Brown paper backing.
Object ID
G.96.37.9
Notes
This fraktur is featured in Irwin Richman's book "Pa. German Arts," 2001, page 14.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Usage
Kauffman's home
Credit
Gift of Henry J. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
Large fraktur is both a Vorschrift & Taufschein, done on laid paper, for Johan Philip Grunewalt, born June 17, 1756, in Cocalico Twp. Mounted in modern red-painted frame with window mat. Has watermark of a shield with a fleur-de-lys at top and "GR" at bottom.
Large religious text at top begins: "Dass walt der Trey Einige Ewige un Endliche und Allmachtige gott der gott, Abraham der gott, Isaac der gott, Jacob der heylige In Israel Auser welche..." followed by 2 more lines of in smaller font, then13 lines of German script filling center of fraktur. Below this is a line of large fraktur style alphabet, then numerals, and finally a line of German script.
At bottom is the taufschein section noting Johan's birth and baptism. German script at bottom right Alan Keyser identifies as simply completing the previous sentence due to running out of space. It is "auffer stehung(en)" which ends the thought of eine seelige... "toward a blessed after-life" (or resurrection). Following the mention of holy baptism are sponsors names, Jorg Weber and his wife Ann Eliza. No date of baptism.
Around entire fraktur is a 3-line border of red, yellow and blue, with a religious text dated 1767 between red & yellow lines. Decoration at top, within border, are simple leafy vines with stylized tulips of red, yellow, green and black.
Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin Co., p. 300 ff.
Height (in)
19
Width (in)
23.875
Dimension Details
Unframed dimensions. Frame is 25" x 31"
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-08-04
Condition Notes
Damp stains mostly at top border and some foxing across surface. Significant damage to paper from multiple tape repairs at fold lines. (Conserved in 1996 by Marilyn Kemp Weidner of Phila. and placed in a sealed Mylar package on acid-free corrugated board).
Object ID
P.94.21.2
Notes
Recipient of Vorschrift, John Philip Greenawalt, was born in Cocalico Twp. to parents Philip Lorentz and Maria (or Margaret?) (Foesser) Greenawalt. He apparently settled in Ephrata where he was a farmer and a hotel keeper.
Son John Philip served as first lieutenant in the Rev. War (and his father served as a colonel with Washington at Brandywine, Germantown, Trenton, Princeton, etc.). The Dauphin Co. Biog. Encyclopedia, p. 300, states Philip became a hotel keeper at Lebanon after the war. He apparently left Cocalico Twp. no later than 1763.
Place of Origin
Cocalico Twp.
Usage
Grunewalt, Johan Philip, 1756-1834
Credit
Heritage Center Collection, gift of James Hale Steinman Foundation
Fraktur on laid paper in polychrome lettering. Within a cross-hatched border is a birth record for Andrew Bare done in five lines of German above a heart containing eleven lines of text. Decorated with vining flowers at top and large flowers around heart.
Accompanying translation at right was written and signed by J. Watson Ellmaker (1840-1921), but undated. It states that the text within the heart is a baptismal prayer for Andrew Bare, born March 9, 1768, and gives an English translation.
Fraktur was originally purchased in a vertical frame with the translation below it, both glued to the same backing. Both pieces were conserved, matted and reframed side-by-side by Elizabeth C. Hollyday, April 1981. See NOTES
Fraktur has significant damage. Multiple losses, staining overall and mended tears and creases.
Translation paper has several light brown stains, esp. at top.
Conserved and reframed by Elizabeth C. Hollyday, April 1981. Edges of fraktur appear to be lifting somewhat. There still remain dark, hazy areas over much of surface.
Object ID
P.80.136
Notes
Published in Fraktur: Folk Art and Family, Russel & Corinne Earnest, 1999, p. 30.
Noted genealogist Jane Evans Best wrote a letter 9/27/84 correcting the genealogical info written by Ellmaker. She states that Andreas was not the father of noted publisher John Bear. This Andrew Bear was born 2/9/1768 and died 6/22/1797. He was baptized June 12, 1768 at Zeltenreich Reformed Church in Earl Twp. Best suggests it may have been the schoolmaster of the nearly Laurel Hill school who created this fraktur. The school was mentioned in a deed dated July 22, 1765 and was one of the earliest on record in Lancaster Co.
Also, Andrew Bear Jr. was not married to Mary Showers, but was married 12/22/1790 at New Holland Lutheran Church to Susanna Mayer, daughter of Abraham Mayer of Leacock Twp. The Bears had two children, John b. 7/31/1791 and Christina, born after 1792. The two children were mentioned in their grandfather Andrew's will dated 9/21/1805.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Hand-done Birth and Baptisimal Certificate, on tan paper with cursive English, for William Coleman by Henry Keim. Design inspired by the printed angel-type fraktur, although this one is horizontally oriented. Main text at center within a rectangular line border. There is also very faded text above and below box, apparently religious. Text is flanked by two confronting angels with lyres standing on polka dot clouds. Strong-jawed angels with black cap-like hair have yellow skirts and wings and black vest. Also taken directly from the angel B&BCs, are the two birds perched on flowering stems in each lower corner. Entire fraktur is edged with a striped border. Colors used are yellow, green, blue teal, black, brown and cream.
The main central text reads: "Certificate of birth and babtism(sic)/ William a son of George Coleman/ Catherine Lowry was born on the 20th/ day of March in the year of/ our Lord 1820 in the/ Township of Elizabeth in the/ the County of Lancaster in the/ state of Pennsylvania in north/ America; and was babtised(sic)/ in the year of our Lord 1820/ by the Revd Mr Shaffner/ of Marietta". Signed "Henry, Keim" at lower corner within squiggled box.
See NOTES.
Lancaster County, perhaps Marietta or Elizabeth Twp.
Fading in text. Pronounced breakage & small holes through vertical fold line at center has been mended (see reverse). Darkened in this area from top to bottom. Short breaks also mended, eg. between bottom edge and breast of left bird. Wrinkles throughout. Paper darkened overall due to soiling and acid or light damage. Liquid staining. Blotchy stains particulary in left half.
Frame: Moderate wear with scratches and chips. Removed from frame due to acidic mount. Remains mounted on tan matboard with hinges at top corners.
Object ID
P.00.19.1
Notes
See copy in file of Pastoral Records 1808-1835 of Henry B. Shaffner, Reformed Pastor, p. 100. Listed under Baptisms of Manheim is son William Coleman, whose birth is recorded as 29 March 1820 & baptism on 4 June. The witness/sponsor was "Gorg Long w Fr (Frau?)." Most significantly, in the column listing parents, Shaffner writes "Gorg Coleman with / his housekeeper". In other words, Wm. Coleman was an illigitimate child, born to unwed parents, likely creating a scandal in this important, wealthy Coleman family. The grandparents were ironmaster Robert Coleman and his wife Anne Coleman.
George Coleman (1790-1821) only lived to age 31 and is buried in Brickerville United Lutheran Cemetery. Note that the Find A Grave record for George Coleman also lists a son William (1820-1890), buried in Mt. Lebanon cemetery. 1860 census for Lebanon, PA lists William married to Maria McCloud, working as a shoemaker and having 6 children, the oldest of whom was named George Coleman, apparently after his father.
The scrivener/artist, Henry Keim, may possibly lived at one time in Chester County. See letter in file.
