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.
Printed taufschein (B&BC) on wove paper by Herman William Villee of North Queen St. in Lancaster, infilled by unknown hand for the Hirsch family and carefully hand-colored. It is one of two German-language editions printed by Villee.
Taufschein has outer border of a stylized floral motif except at bottom which is an entwined, spiraling leaf and flower design. Large text block at center within a border with heading, "Geburts und-Tauf-Schein." Two smaller text blocks at upper corners have religious verse. Two very small blocks with verse are at bottom center. The three Virtues are personified by classically robed females arranged at sides and top of central block. At top is Love holding a heart; at left side is Faith adorned with a cross; at right is Hope leaning on a large anchor. (These 3 images were used by other printers in Reading, Orwigsburg and Pottsville -- see p. 133 in Vol. III of Klaus Stopp). Immediately below central text block is an image of 2 babies reading a book.
At bottom is: "Gedruckt und zu haben bey/ H. W. VILLEE,/ In der Nordlichen Quien Strasse in Lancaster, (Pa.) Allwo alle Arten/ von Dructer Arbeit verfertigt werden." Mounted in a molded softwood frame with an outside bead and slanting face. Painted black with green-painted face.
Certificate made for birth of Anna Hirsch, daughter of Joseph and Magdalena Metz Hirsch, born Dec. 14, 1821 in Rapho Twp. Reverse has two lines of 19th c. script in black ink: "Amey Hersh Died March the 10/ In the year of our Lord 1844."
Printed by Herman William Villee (b. 1789 in France, d. 1842 in Northumberland Co.), North Queen St. Likely the infill by unknown scrivener in Rapho Twp.
Provenance
See this file and P04.48.1(Adam & Eve broadside) for info about Villee. Additional broadside is P01.60.1.
See Klaus Stopp, "The Printed B & BC of the German Americans", Vol. III, pp. 133-134.
Strong horizontal fold line at center with additional creases. Two 1/2 inch tears at top extending downwards. Top edge very ragged and folded back.
Some overall yellowing, small area of foxing at top right, small liquid stains along top. Corrugated cardboard backing replaced with acid-free matboard back within an old molded wood frame, painted green on face and dark brown at sides. Paint has moderate wear.
Object ID
P.04.48.02
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Irene N. Walsh, Heritage Center Collection
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.
Printed birth & baptismal certificate with infill & decoration by Francis D. Levan, made for the Werts family. Johanes Merts was born 17 Feb 1832 in Cocalico Twp. in Lancaster County and baptized 8 April 1833. He was the son of Jacob and Catharina Schweigart Werts.
Central text is in German with fraktur infill lettering. There is a border surrounding the text. On the top of the page is a cherub flanked by two boxes of text. Flanking the main text are two large angels. Below them on either side of the text are two branches, each with birds. Within the border, but below the main text is an open bible. Below this motif is an emblem with a lute and trumpet superimposed over music. The artist's signature follows, written as, "Francis D. Levane."
Moderate staining overall. Creases, especially at top and left side. Tear at bottom near center. Small loss on left side near top. Small tears and small area of soiling on lower left side. Paper is darkened at lower corners. Framed in archival materials in 2/2000 by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.00.9.1
Notes
According to Klaus Stopp, this printed form by Ritter was done c. 1843-44. Stopp uses the number 695 for this variant of the form. Papers for Birth Dayes give Levan's working dates as c. 1826-50.
Family record written on both sides of a detached page from a Bible. First side has a foliate perimeter border w/ three flowers along top. Additional flowers decorate inside corners. Large oval contains family info, but only the first 1/3 of the page is written in Fraktur style lettering (father, mother, marriage and one daughter). Attrib. to John Eberman who has drawn lines as guides for his scrivening. At top is Johannes Kredi, born 24 Dec 1794, his wife Magdalena, born 16 Jan 1797 and their marriage 20 Feb 1823. Following is daughter Veronica, b. 1824 (later called Fanny).
Additional entries in plain German handwriting. First entry lists both John, born 1826 and death of mother the same year; certainly caused by childbirth. Below a line border entry records John and new wife "Margred" b. 1807, married 11 Oct 1827. Below a line border is birth of Jacob, 1828.
Second side has 4 entries within the bleed-through of the large oval, each separated with a border filled with "X"es and each line hand-ruled. First is Henry, b. 1830; second is "Davit" b. 1834; third is "Benjemin" b. 1836 and fourth is Elizabeth b. 1839.
Yellowed paper has fooxing and fairly dark stains throughout, esp. heavy along bottom border. Vertical and horizontal fold lines are fragile with some breaking at page edges.
Object ID
2017.999.21
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #34 during this event.
Johannes died 31 March 1851. One year before his death, family is listed in 1850 Census in Manor Township:
