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
Printed B&BC on wove paper infilled for Elizabeth Martin, born 9 July 1842 in Lykens Twp., Dauphin Co. Parents were Samuel P. Martin and wife Mary, nee Dubindorf. Elizabeth was baptized 15 Aug 1842 by Rev. John Peter Schindel. The parents were the sponsors.
This is the first English edition printed by Werner in Pottsville, c. 1840 (see Notes). Title at top is "Birth and Christening / Certificate" Central text block with infill is flanked by two of the 3 virtues done with woodcuts. The third, usually above the text block is replaced by the tailpiece of a lady playing a piano. A tailpiece of 2 flowers separates the text block from 2 smaller blocks with religious verse, at bottom. Printed in blue, red and yellow. A perching bird is in each corner of bottom. At bottom center is the imprint: "Printed and sold by J.T. Werner, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pa." An "H" is written in top left corner.
Fair condition largely due to the large chunk out of the edge at top center, obliterating half of the title. Tape stains indicate it had been mended with tape before being lost. Two other places where tape is bleeding through is at left near top (3/4" tear) and at right near bottom corner (1" tear). Several large nicks or losses, esp. at left near mend.
Pronounced brown spot stains along right edge and 2 round liquid stains on left edge adjacent to tape mend. Lighter stains elsewhere. A 1/8" hole near the "Pa." of imprint at bottom. Color printed in yellow, red and blue.
Object ID
2004.748
Notes
Appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser 2 Sept 1988. Assigned #48.
Printer J.T. Werner was born in Lebanon Co. in 1814. He printed in various places, finally in Pottsville from 1837 on. He died there in 1882.
In The B&BCs of the German American, Vol. 4, Klaus Stopp lists this fraktur for Elizabeth on page 14, numbered #562. This is the first English edition by Werner in Pottsville. Instead of one of the virtues (Love) above text block a lady playing a piano is shown. This little tailpiece is also known since it was used with BBCs in his printshop in Orwigsburg, PA.
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 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.
Calligraphic Birth Record for Anna Bollinger hand-done on wove paper. Lettering is accompanied by very heavy calligraphic scrolls and flourishes, covering entire page.
Light overall acid/light burn. Paper is wrinkled with fold lines; some long tears extending in from left edge -- longest is 2.5" and another is circular and nearly detached. Additional tears at edges. Very large round loss with a 1" tear at left edge; ragged edges have some minor losses. Corners are clipped. Dark stains at right edge 2.5" up from corner.
