Woodcut print on tan, wove paper, done in black ink and hand colored, rectangular shape with vertical orientation. Paper print is mounted with three hinges on cream-colored matboard. Frame is a simple 19th century square profile, brown frame (not original to artwork) with hanging ring at top edge.
Within a single-line border is an image of a female scrivener, in profile, facing viewers left. She is dressed in a blue Empire gown and seated on a tan klismos chair with a strange device underneath (a green pyramid supporting a ball which in turn is surrounded with red balls). Woman has red dot on cheek as well as in a void in her hair. She holds a feather quill in her left hand and a book held up in right hand. Upper left corner of print has a red line painted to delineate a triangle which is painted blue.
Heavily inked lines and large expanses such as hair, book and shoes. All paint is semi-transparent watercolor except for the red which is very thick, opaque and now cracking.
Image is attributed to David Bixler (farmer and folk artist) who produced hand-colored prints such as this as well as portraits, maps, decorated auction bills, taufscheins, religious texts, flowers, etc. He also cut tombstones. See article written by Miriam E. Bixler as well as Papers for Birth Dayes, both in the paper file.
Provenance
This Bixler print is from the Paul Flack collection and is only being brokered through Ron Trauger.
See also: P02.17.1 a Bixler print of stag, P02.27.1-2 prints by Clement Bixler.
Generally very good except for two significant U-shaped tears near top where someone tried to pull piece away from the hinges. (A third hinge holds piece 1/3 from bottom.) Small dog-eared corner at top right. Darkened paper overall. A test of the pH pen indicates all mounting board is neutral or acid-free.
Object ID
P.01.59.1
Notes
David Bixler and his brother Absolam (d. 1884, a potter, woodcarver and farmer) were sons of Abraham Bixler (d. 1847) who owned a sawmill on Muddy Creek in Brecknock Twp. David Bixler lived on the road from Dry Tavern to Reamstown in Brecknock Twp.
Consult paper file for references, prices and copy of "David Bixler, Folk Artist" by Miriam E. Bixler, published in the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, vol. 81, No. 1, 1977.
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.
Colored drawing of a stag, attributed to David Fry, framed. Small drawing done on wove paper (4/5" x 3.5") of brown stag standing sideways and facing forward. Standing on green grassy area with three flowering plants. Round nostrils and round eyes with pupils. Unsigned. Strips of pasted on paper at top and bottom adhere artwork to pressed paper frame having embossed decoration including scrolling foliate border and anthemion at top. Colorful plaid-printed paper infills flat center sections of frame.
Inscribed in inked script on center of reverse is "Betsy Erhard/1829." The number '23' is pencilled on adhered framing paper. Frey would have been 70 years old when he made this drawing. (By Wendell Zercher)
Generally good, but considerable damage. Paper drawing has holes and losses at right center, adhered paper at edges; general darkening & soil with 6 large moisture and mildew and/or foxing around edges. Long tear at left above center, several punctures in grass area near left side. Drawing detaching from frame & pasted paper. Frame has four horizontal cracks at side members.
Pencil sketch on heavy paper of 19th century farm scene. Black and white pencil used on tinted paper (probably purchased with tinted sky and tan foreground). Brick farmhouse, barn and outbuildings surrounded by trees and fencing. In foreground are three cows and two men with a 4-horse team pulling a wagon or similar vehicle.
Sketch is entitled "Home/ Three Spring Farm/ The residence of/ William & Gulielm Brinton." Inscribed in pencil at bottom, the four lines appear to be original to the piece except for "Three Spring Farm" which seems to be in a later hand. At lower left edge of sketch is written, "8th mo 1855." Upper left corner has stamped impression: "H. DELIUS BERLIN/ INVENTION & PERFECTION/ PAPIER PELLER/ TOILE 4(written in pencil) TEINTP (?). (Written by Wendell Zercher.)
Slightly mildewed along edges, especially top; shaded soiling advancing from left to right sides; punctures- two at right edge and two at left, crease at 1/3 distance from top right side. Reverse is very dark with acid-burned imprint of backing board; remnants of previous hinges at top.
Removed from acidic frame and remounted with acid-free materials in simple black frame by Lancaster Galleries.
Bookplate is done on wove paper that is adhered to the detached front cover of a leatherbound New Testament and framed in a modern red and black frame. Unusual borders, motifs and strong primary colors of red, blue and yellow. Borders are bands of red and blue-painted rectangles at sides and red hears on a band of yellow at top and bottom. Additional red hearts flank side borders at top. Top 1/3 of bookplate has a compass-drawn motif of overlapping circles. The middle 1/3 of page is the text in German "Dieses Neue Testament/ Gerhort/ Henrich Scherch/ Ihm zur Lehr and Gott zur/ Ehr, Geshrieben im Yahr, 1823." Bottom of page has a large design of red and yellow fruit hanging from blue leaves dotted with red. (Written by Wendell Zercher)
Paper is generally good; colors have been smeared. lifted and muddled, esp. along top edge and bottom 1/3 of bookplate, probably due to moisture damage. Tear of 1 1/2" extends from left edged ( 1 1/2" up from bottom) into center of page. BP is adhered to detached front cover of NT that is deteriorated brown leather with metal hooks for clasps still intact; residue to glue at four corners.
Two colored, geometric drawings done with a compass on an elongated rectangular piece of paper with the inscription written down below in script in black ink, "Miss Jane Whitehill Sep 27th 1824." Each drawing fills nearly one-half of paper.
The left drawing is a multi-colored ball within an outer ring. On the yellow ground of the ball are drawn six 'eye' shapes overlapping each other, with the resulting inner spaces colored with multiple colors: dark brown/black, turquoise, baby blue, yellow, light red and dark olive green.
The right design has a floral appearance, like an 8-pointed snowflake within an 8-lobed leaf or flower. The inner 'snowflake' design is painted light red.
Buff paper is heavily stained/burned, especially the right half; dark circular stain at upper left corner and small stain above right design; fold at center where the bottom 1/2" is breaking, with additional folds overall; one 1/2-inch tear within right design at '10 o'clock.'
Sampler on linen in painted yellow frame with brown felt liner. Worked in silk thread of colors: brown, tan, beige, lt. and dk.blue, lt. and dk. green and yellow.
5 sections divided by 4 horizontal borders. Description from top to bottom: Upper case alphabet in brown, tan, beige and dk. blue
Brown border- upper case alphabet in lt blue, tan, dk. green, dk. blue and beige, internally separated by lt. blue border
Beige border- in brown lettering is:"Emily Wilson Hopkin(s)/ Worked this sampler in/ the 8th year of her age"
Beige and blue border- "1826" in brown followed by embroidered figures: ? (in queen stitch), strawberry fruit plant, ?(in queen stitch), peacock, tree, and ?(possible animal). (all figures above a beige and tan "grass" border).
Entire sampler is surrounded by a lt. blue border.
(Written by Michael Middleton)
Provenance
Donor is granddaughter of Henry Slaymaker Magraw and Emily Hopkins Magraw, (married in Oct. or Nov. of 1840, according to "Marriages & Deaths...") Henry S. Magraw became an attorney in Lancaster in 1838 (Ellis & Evans, p. 245). By 1840, H.S. Magraw was listed as living in Pittsburgh.
