Bookplate for Peter T.(?) Stauffer penned in purple lettering by Thomas H. Wall (active circa 1876-1898) on a detached end page of a book. Wove paper is light brown. The name arches at top of page with "1876" directly underneath. Embellished with filligree and other decorative flourishes.
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.
Fraktur, hand-made Geburts und Taufschein (B&BC), watercolor over pencil, on ruled wove paper, signed on back in pencil: "Henry Lapp / 1872"
Dominating the page is a large rounded heart, outlined in dark green and red, with an exterior conforming border of green vines (edged in black pen) and pink flowers. Written in Ink within the heart is a Christian exhortation: "Selig sind, die Gottes Wort / horen, bewahren und befolgen! / Christus bleibt Dein treuer Dort / Er wird fur Dich dan(?) sorgen". Crowning the heart at top is a ribbon-like banner in blue w/black highlighted edges with "Geburts // und Tauf // Schein." printed within it. A yellow flower peeks out from behind the banner.
Below the heart, is a horizontal rectangle outlined in blue and red, are 2 lines, poorly executed, written in black ink: "Befolge stets die Schrift, sie sei Dein Gluck auf Erden / Sie Fuhrt Dich auf den Weg das Himelreichzuerben." (It begins, "Always obey Scripture...").
According to the inscription & date on the reverse of this B&BC, Henry Lapp would only have been executed by Lapp at age 10. See a nearly identical B&BC -- P.97.41.2.
Provenance
Purchase at Lloyd C. and Miriam H. Hinden sale at Horst Auction, Nov. 15, 1997
Fraktur, hand-made Geburts und Taufschein, watercolor over pencil, on un-ruled wove paper, signed on back in pencil with a shaky or tentative hand: "Henry Lapp / 1871" Certificate is not infilled for a recipient.
Horizontal ribbon-like banner in blue with red outline, split at either end, with the words "Geburts // und Tau // Schein." written within it in black ink. A yellow floral decoration rises above the banner. Center of page is filled with a large rounded heart, outlined in blue and red. Written within the heart, at bottom, is: "Selig sind, die Gottes Wort / horen bewahren und befolgen! / Christus bleibt Dein treur Dort / Er wird fur Dich dan(?) sorgen".
Underneath the heart, at the bottom of the page, is a horizontal rectangle painted yellow, outlined in green and red, with this phrase written within in black ink: "Befolge stets die Schrift, sie sei Dein Gluck auf Erden / Sie Fihrt Dich auf den Weg das Himelreichzuerben". (Translation of 1st phrase is "Always obey Scripture").
According to the inscription & date on the reverse of this birth & baptismal certificate, it would have been executed by Lapp when was only nine years old. This is a nearly identical variant of B &BC (P97.41.1).
Provenance
Purchase at Lloyd C. and Miriam H. Hinden sale at Horst Auction, Nov. 15, 1997
Foxing and age discoloration of paper. Ink smear in bottom phrase.
Horizontal crease at center. Red mark, bottom right quadrant. Minor wrinkles to paper. Lower right corner and right edge badly folded with tears. Folding to bottom left corner and top edge. Small tears to left and top edges.
Framed for an exhibit by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.97.41.2
Notes
From the collection of Floyd C. and Miriam H. Hinden of Ronks.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Fraktur birth record for Henry C. Harnish, ink, pencil and watercolor on buff wove paper.
Text in black lettering with polychrome shading in pink, blue and grey. Names decorated with calligraphic flourishes typical of this time. Each line is a different lettering styles.
Text reads: "Henry C. Harnish/ Son of/ John and Elizabeth Harnish/ Was Born/ September 4th 1874./ Pequea Township/ Lancaster County/ Pennsylvania." The text is surrounded by an oval drawn in pencil.
Removed from frame: old worn frame had wide molding, originally gilded, stained dark brown and varnished.
Fraktur is darkened with acid burn, especially around edges. Large oval acid burn (caused by knot in wood) just below center. Some small tears and losses around edges. Light soiling.
Frame heavily worn with many scratches, gashes and cracks. Removed from frame due to acidic wooden backing boards. Now unframed.
Object ID
P.00.41.1
Notes
Research: A John Harnish is listed as a farmer in New Danville in the 1869 Directory. See file for results of search for Henry.
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.
