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.
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
Color lithograph of Empress Eugenie. The lithograph was created from an original painting by F. Winterhalter. The Empress is standing on a platform, her body facing left, head turned front, her right hand raised over a jewelled crown that sits atop of a gold trimmed brown pillow on a red and gold trimmed table; a gold embroidered arm chair is behind her. The Empress is wearing a a long pearl necklace over her white double flounced evening gown trimmed in lace and enhanced by a green bustle as well as a blue and white sash. She wears a jeweled bracelet on both arms, a pearl tiara with a small pearl crown atop her chignon veil.
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Portrait of young gentleman. Fairly faded out. Water marks/stains, one around right eye of man (viewer's left) in decorative bronze-colored frame with glass narrow gold-colored braid around edge. All with a red velvet rectangle. On the red velvet lining of the lid/cover: "Addis (?) s Lancaster Gallery/ NE Corner of Centre Square & N. Queen St." Black container has decorative motifs on front and back.
