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 certificate is hand done by artist using design elements from printed fraktur. Multicolor text is enclosed in a central arched arbor w/ flame finials. Text names Christian, a son of Jacob and Barbara (KIndig) Bachman, born 1827 in Lampeter Twp. Two confronting angels flank arbor and 2 additional text blocks of religious verse support arbor. A pavilion at bottom is flanked by blue trees & large colorful pinwheel flowers.
Border at sides and top have colorful, repeating floral/foliate motifs; top is arched. Hearts and flowers fill top corners. Above arbor is a large 4-point stylized star flanked by reclining trees.
Artist uses red, blue, light blue, black, yellow, white, green, orange and brown.
Inscribed on reverse in black ink is "No 4 made by Eli Haverstick 1834."
Provenance
Descent in Bachman family to donor. Two nearly identical birth certificates are known, for older sister Anne, b. 1823 (private owner-Barbara Ann Mable) and younger brother John, b. 1832 (G.96.9.1). Similarity suggests all were made at the same time in 1834.
Bachman family genealogy in file. See info on Christian Bachman in Mennonite Arts, 2002, pp. 56-57.
Conserved by Susan Duhl in 2001. Generally worn and discolored. Repair to edge tears & corner loss. Abrasions & paper fill in top right corner were in-painted with watercolor. Tape at back of top edge is now removed w/ remaining stain. See report in file.
Object ID
G.00.23.1
Notes
Haverstick is believed to be a teacher due to being absent on tax rolls for Conestoga Twp.
Christian Bachman (1827-1901) became a prominent cabinetmaker in eastern Lancaster County, just like his father Jacob Bachman (1798-1867). He married Barbara Buckwalter in 1855. After marriage, he moved to Strasburg where he set up his own shop.
Place of Origin
Conestoga Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
In memory of Charles Bachman, grandson of Christian Bachman, by his son Charles Bachman, Jr. and family.
Very unusual German edition of a Birth & Baptismal Certificate (B&BC) printed on wove paper by Lancaster printer Herman William Villee. Infilled in red ink by an unknown, unskilled, illiterate hand for William Craus/Crause of Cocalico Township. Glued onto a mid-20th century printed certificate on thin cardboard & mounted in a modern thin, black frame.
Entitled "Geburts und Tauf Schein." at top. Entire frame around main text consists of one single cut (printing block) with the baptism of Christ at top and Christ blessing the children below. Central text block in German has blanks infilled in English with red ink. William Crouse was born August 10, 1828 to parents William and Sarah Craus(e?). He was baptized by Rev. Frederick Harman and the sponsor was John Koch(?). The birth year is scrawled above text three times and below is written "whas Ritten May 21. 1833." Villee's name and location printed at bottom.
Certificate is H: 16.25" x W: 13" It is heavily colored with dark red, black and yellow throughout.
J.J. Strine records the marriage of a William M. Crouse Esq. of W. Cocalico and Nancy Eberly of Reamstown, 12 Oct. 1858. (If the same Crouse, he was age 30.) 1869 Directory lists both Wm. Crouse Sr. & Jr., combmaking in Reinholdsville, while the Business Directory (p. 408) only lists Wm. Jr. as one of two comb manufacturers in Lanc. Co. William M. Crouse & son were manufacturing combs in Reinhold's Station in W. Cocalico Twp. in 1890 Directory. In 1909, only George W. Crouse continued.
Atlas of 1864 has Wm. Crouse Jr. w/ two bldgs. between Reinholdsville & Berks Co. line. The 1875 Atlas shows W.M. Crouse listed only with the bldg. nearest Berks Co. while the other bldg. is gone. The 1899 Atlas shows property labeled "COMB FACTORY".
Ellis & Evans lists William M. Crouse as a Justice of the Peace in 1855-1860 in W. Cocalico Twp. (p. 722).
Printed N. Queen Street; likely infilled in W. Cocalico Twp.
Provenance
Provenance unknown.
See P.01.60.1 for Heaven & Hell broadside by Villee.
See Klaus Stopp, The Printed B&BC of the German Americans, Vol. III, pp. 136-137.
Heavy damage with moderate staining. Extensive tears, wrinkles and holes, esp. at center. Largest losses are scene of Crist blessing the disciples. Many areas mended with tape. Glue & tape apparently used to mount document. Old cardboard backing. NEEDS CONSERVATION.
Spiral labyrinth, watercolor and ink on wove paper, signed by John A. Landis (15 Sep 1777 - 8 Mar 1862) of Lancaster City. Within a line border is a compass-drawn large circle filled with interwoven near-circles (paths of labyrinth) emanating from another center circle that is in turn filled with compass-drawn floral decoration. The near-circle pathways have text written within, beginning at the top with the words, "What is a gentleman?" Leafy vines with flowers fill the corners outside of the large circular labyrinth. Two distelfink-type birds are perched on lower vines. At bottom center is a heart in which vines are anchored. Within heart are 4 lines of neatly printed English: "Made By/ John A. Landis in the/ Year of our Lord 1852/ in the Seventy Fifth/ Year of his/ Age."
Reverse side of frame has two stickers; the top one reads: "MSC/ #135" and the lower one reads: "T76.10.37/ (MSC - 135)."
Unusual -- believed to be the only hand-done Lancaster City fraktur known. Samuel Baumann is the design source for Landis's birds, flowers and hearts. Baumann produced printed fraktur in Ephrata in the early 19th century. See NOTES
Provenance
Provenance: Dealer Hattie Brunner to Dr. & Mrs. Donald A. Shelley. Shelley collection sold at auction (Pook & Pook), Oct. 2004 to Heritage Center.
Paper is darkened overall; watercolored words of labyrinth are blurry and often illegible.
Object ID
P.04.45.1
Notes
According to Landis family genealogy & other sources, Landis operated a museum in Lancaster City at several successive locations. Article in Lancaster Gazette, 1825, lists detailed changes & additions Landis made to the museum.
Landis married twice, leaving no children and is buried in Shreiner's cemetery (tall monument along Mulberry St. side). The 1850 Census records him living, at age 72, with his wife Sarah in a hotel kept by Henry Nauman. He is also listed in the 1860 Census but of course gone by 1870.
Labyrinths have been made in various forms for centuries, traditionally of a spiritual nature. According to Michael Bird, "The labyrinth had pre-Christian roots in the worlds of Crete, Greece and Rome..." Landis's labyrinth is unusual in that it is not rooted in a spiritual or Biblical theme, but instead focuses on moral character. This compass-drawn design is not traditional Pa. German; it is likely Anglo-inspired.
This labyrinth was illustrated in Donald Shelley's "The Fraktur-Writings of Illuminated Manuscripts of the Pa. Germans", figure #223. See Klaus Stopp's The Printed B&BCs of the German Americans, Vol. II, pp. 208-217, for fraktur printed by the Baumanns of Ephrata. These show the source of motifs used in this labyrinth.
Scherenschnitte, freehand cutwork on light cream-colored wove paper folded horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, then cut out. Rectangular form is centered with an 8-lobed flower made of four hearts enclosing smaller hearts & a medallion with inscription Surrounded by figures of boys and girls as well as birds and hearts. Colored w/ red and blue paint/gouache and some details in blue ink.
Scotland area, Greene Twp., Franklin Co.
Handwritten in blue at center is: "Margarert [sic] Elizabeth / Farner / A present / By John Farner / March 11th 1854" Made for sister Margaret when John was age 11. Similar one is owned by Jim Gergat, done by Farner in 1854 for Isaac Shetter in Green Twp. in Franklin County. Jim has a photo of recipient Shetter. He owns an additional cutout w/ no written presentation. Gergat states Farner was a Civil War veteran and is buried in Centerville, Cumberland Co. (at intersection of Rt. 174/Walnut Bottom Rd. and Rt. 233 & associated w/ Centerville Lutheran Church, Carlisle).
Provenance
Given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith to the Lancaster County Historical Society with the understanding that it would become part of the collections of The Heritage Center Museum with the establishment of that institution.
Small brown spots overall, especially in top half. Larger brown stains in top left area and central design; possibly faded brown coloring.
Matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard of Carlisle in 1996
Object ID
G.77.50.3
Notes
Earnest, Fraktur: Folk Art & Family, 1999, p. 118.
Informed 1-9-12 by Jim Gergat, former York Co. H. S. curator, of identity of John Farner. See photocopies of his two Farner cutouts in file. Gergat's phone # is (610) 473-0137.
Slide #27-2-10 and Transparency file under "Fraktur" #18.
Removed from Masonic Lodge Fraktur exhibit early 2008.
Exhibited Landis Valley Museum, scherenschnitte exhibit curated by Irwin Richman, May-Dec. 2008.
Place of Origin
Greene Twp., Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Birth and baptismal certificate lithographed in German by Augustus Kollner of Phila. is infilled for the Frankhausser (Frankhauser) family of East Cocalico Twp. Image is colored with yellow border and smaller details in blues and pink. Frame is walnut veneer on flat, angled profile.
Titled "Geburts- und Taufschein", the vertical design on wove paper (14 1/4" x 10 1/4") features elaborate foliate scrolling along architectural sides & base borders, culminating in a leafy broken arch at top, flanked by putti & verses from the gospel of Matthew. Under arch is a nativity scene and within niches at side columns are two men, apparently John the Baptist at left and Jesus at right. Jesus' baptism is pictured within architectural border at bottom, flanked with religious verse. Printed at bottom is "For Sale by Augs. Kollner, corner of Second & Dock Sts. Phil.a / Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1849, by Augs. Kollner, in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pa."
German text is printed within open center area; infilled by unknown scrivener in a large, flowing script that contains several spelling errors. To Heinrich Frankhauser and his wife Marie nee Leath was born a son John Lamon the 7th of April, 1854 in East Cocalico Twp. He was baptized the 5th of October, 1854 by Pastor Ries and sponsored by the parents. (Rev. Charles Reese was the pastor 1852-1857 at Muddy Creek Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ellis & Evans, p. 713).
Printed Philadelphia by Augustus Kollner; Infilled in Cocalico Twp. by unknown scrivener
Generally very good condition. Moderate darkening along edges and light darkening overall. Small stains & foxing sprinkled within text and elsewhere. Reverse side shows yellow liquid stain, apparently bleed-through from watercolored column & arch.
Framed with acidic wood backboard, now replaced with acid free Foam core. Frame refinished w/ minor damage & wear.
Object ID
P.07.07.1
Notes
Most Frankhausers were living in Brecknock Twp. during the late 1800s. The 1864 ATLAS has two properties labeled "H. Frankhauser", one SE of Napierville (E. Cocalico) & one SE of Muddy Creek (Brecknock) (See file). The 1890 Directory has widow Maria F. living in Muddy Creek.
Printer was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1813, studied painting & lithography & emigrated to Phila. in 1839 or 1840. He was active independently as a lithographer before 1849 & an artist in watercolor until the 1870s. From 1849-1951 he was associated with the German printer Johann Henry Camp.
Printed angel-type birth and baptisimal certificate (B&BC) in German on wove paper. Jacob Leininger was born in 1852, the son of Friederich Leininger and wife Elisabeth nee Ksander of West Cocalico Twp. Baptized by Rev. Carl Ries.
Border surrounds the central text block with infill, flanked by two angels. At top center is a putto with two boxes of text at sides. On the top of the page is a cherub flanked by two boxes of text. Flanking the main text are two large angels, facing toward the center. Two perching birds at lower sides. Bordered text block at bottom center has religious verse with two tailpieces filling space: above text is woman with shield reading "IN GOD WE HOPE" and below is an emblem with horns over flowering branches. Below this is the imprint: "Gedruckt und zu haben bei A. Puwelle, Reading, Penn."
Birds, putto and angels are fancifully decorated with yellow, blue, red, brown and various shades of green. Mounted in black frame with cream colored mat.
Printed: Reading by Arnold Puwelle; Infill & decoration: unknown.
Large tear on top, near center. Tear on right side. below center. Two tears on left side. Moderate creasing, especially lower left corner. Moderate staining, especially on left side.
Framed in archival materials in 2/2000 by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.00.09.2
Notes
Reference: The Printed B & B C of the German Americans, Klaus Stopp, vol. 4, p. 292. According to Stopp, this variant of Puwelle's printed form was done c. 1852 and is assigned #769. Stopp lists this Puwelle fraktur for the Leininger family as an example.
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.
