Modern "revivalist" fraktur created by Professor H. J. Kauffman's caretaker/nurse, Arlene Harnish. Mounted in handmade wood frame with corner blocks.
Marriage and birth certificate done on tinted laid paper with various colors. Within a border are three panels, the larger central panel has the text: "Henry Ka/uffman/Son of David and Anna/Kauffman was born on/November 14, 1908 in Yo/ork County, Pa. Married/ Elizabeth Zoe Tomer/July 20, 1938." Signed at the bottom "A Harnish" The two side panels are nearly symmetrical, featuring flowering plants growing out of a colorful pitcher resting on a stepped pedestal. A large colorful bird is perched in each of the plants.
Frame was made by HJK in earlier years.
1704 Millersville Pike, Lancaster
Provenance
Made by Arlene Harnish (b. 13 March 1946), caretaker of Henry J. Kauffman. She stated on 30 May 2000, that she learned to make fraktur by taking a class at Landis Valley Museum taught by Jere Kickerman. This piece was only the second fraktur she made, the first being the project for the class, done for her granddaughter.
Harnish made this fraktur for HJK during working hours at his residence when another was pressing. She copied motifs from a book. When completed, HJK told her to look for a frame in the basement. The one she found turned out to be one made by Kauffman himself. Harnish expressed shock and embarrassment upon learning that Kauffman had donated her fraktur to a museum. Arlene is Mrs. R. Edwin Harnish, 1586 Georgetown Rd. Christiana, PA phone: 5292712.
Modern fraktur and frame in excellent condition. The handmade from has small crack in top left corner block where nailed. Wood stain shows brush marks. Brown paper backing.
Object ID
G.96.37.9
Notes
This fraktur is featured in Irwin Richman's book "Pa. German Arts," 2001, page 14.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Usage
Kauffman's home
Credit
Gift of Henry J. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
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.
