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.
"Certificate of Baptism" with dove within a gold circle flying toward a white baptismal font. Pink flowers cascade from upper right toward lower left. Information, some printed and some filled in: "In the Name of the Father, of the Son,/ and of the Holy Ghost,/ John Randall Pott/ Child of John Hunter Pott/ and his wife Frances S. Pott/ Born at #212 E. New Street, Lancaster, Pa./ Feb. 20, 1917/ was Baptized by me/ in 221 E. Clay St., Lancaster, PA./ on the 15th day of April in the/ Year of our Lord/ 1917/ Rev. J. Hunter Watts Pastor of/ St. Andrew's Reformed Church/ Lancaster, Pa." (No. 60)
Tiny spots overall. Horizontal creases at 2-inch intervals with tears on a number of these from the edges: 4 on left edge; 2 on right. Cellophane tape on center back, folded over top edge where there is a 3-inch tear from the top edge.
Printed certificate (on stiff paper) with holy firgures and illustrations in brown ink. Printed words are in red.
Jesus and angels atop an arch look down on Jesus with children below. Bible verses are above, to the sides and below the information section in the center:
"Certificate of Baptism/ Richard Harcourt/ Child of Mr. Adolph Darmstaetter/ and his wife Margaret Elva nee Dorwart/ born at Lancaster, Pennsylvania/ on the 21st of April 1913/ was baptized in the Name of/ The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost/ on the 13th of May 1913/ by Pastor George Sieger/ Sponsors were the parents/ Done at the Font of Emmanuel/ Lutheran Church/ Lancaster Pa"
Printed at the bottom: "Printed In Germany. Pilger Publishing House, Reading Pa. No.9"
Brown overall with spots and liquid stains across about an inch from both top and bottom of piece. Right edge is a bit ragged. Tear on lower left side.
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
