Amish family record for John and Elizabeth Lapp family done in inks on heavy tan paper, mounted in an oak frame. Attributed to Benjamin L. Stoltzfus.
Center text is written in red, gold and black. The heading, "Family Record," is written in green and completely covered in glitter. Sprouting out of the heading are two sheaves of wheat painted in gold with a butterfly painted in brown, green and red between them in the center. Around the perimeter of the text is a border done in a "ribbon candy" design. The sides are painted in black and gold, and the top and bottom are painted in red and gold. Within each of the four corners of the border is a diecut, roses at the top and fruit at the bottom. (Written by Nicole Bangert)
(Find complete family record/list of names in the file.)
Provenance
Sold to Heritage Center Museum by Greg K.Kramer & Co., American Antiques and Decorative Objects, Robesonia, PA on Dec. 12, 2000, for $475.00.
Paper is darkened from acid burn; reverse is 'imprinted' with grain pattern of wood veneer backing. There are dark stains at the top and on the left side below center. Paper is 'surface'torn' at the center between Jacob and Mary 's entries (appears like a tear). There is a puncture tear at the 'was' in Jacob's entry. There is a 1 1/4"-long tear at the top, 4 1/4' from the left corner. There are numerous losses of ink, especially at the border. Speckled dirt/ink is scattered at top and bottom edges. Some foxing and soiling evident and paper is slightly buckled.
Family register hand-lettered in black and red, with bronze/gold highlights, all within a frame-like band border filled with decoration including rosettes in corners. Executed for an Old Order Amish family by either John G. Doell or Elizabeth K. Beiler. In a modern frame.
Heading at top reads "The Family of / of [sic] my Father Noah Fisher / He was born on the 14th day of February, 1853 / and my Mother Catharine (Katie) Fisher. / She was born on the 28th day of January 1850." The register gives birthdates of the seven children. Toward bottom is the heading "Deaths" followed by 2 death dates, for Amos (1887) and a stillborn daughter (1894).
Near bottom reads "This was written on the 21st day of September in the Year 1901./for Emma Fisher". Roses drawn in bottom corners.
John Doell was "English" and appears to have worked exclusively among eastern Lancaster Co. Amish families, penning book plates, family records, etc. He likely traveled throughout the communities offering his services. Mennonite historian/collector, Amos Hoover, owner of Muddy Creek Farm Libray, notes that Doell came to America in 1857 and died in Zion's Home in 1908.
Doell's work is similar to Amish artist Elizabeth K. Beiler (see McCauleys' Dec. Arts of the Amish of Lancaster Co., p. 125.)
2009-2011 Amish exhibit, City Hall, 2nd floor.
Provenance
Provenance: Vendor Trish Herr purchased at the Mary H. Fisher sale held at the Paradise Fire Hall, April 19, 1989.
John G. Doell or Elizabeth K. Beiler (see notes in file)
Deep horizontal and vertical creases dividing the register approximately in quarters. Various small brown stains/marks appear overall; an especially dark stain in the upper left, 3 1/2" in from the corner.
Mounted in an off-white window mat and black, flat-profile frame with UV filtering glazing by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.89.07.4
Notes
See P 89.07.3 and .5 for additional registers of this family.
Earnest, Papers for Birth Dayes, pp.54 and 195-196. The fraktur hand of Elizabeth K. Beiler and John G. Doell are so similar that it can be difficult to attribute.
McCauley, Dec. Arts of the Amish of Lancaster Co., p. 125
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Heritage Center Collection through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation
Fraktur family record of Amish family of Stephen and Hannah Miller Mast and ten children, done with ink and paint on heavy white paper in oak frame. Executed in the style of scrivener David C. Hoke by Old Order Amish Bishop John F. Glick (1912-Aug 30, 2003).
A contemporary scrivener who learned his craft by copying David Hoke, Glick records the family of his great grandmother Mary Mast (1832-1924). Fraktur has a wavy ribbon border with flowers at top and bottom. Heading at top is "Family Record" and 1/3 of the way down is "Children," both done in heavy red lettering with silver highlights. Three heads of wheat flank each side of "Children."
Parents' birth dates and marriage date are recorded, followed by ten children with birth dates. The sixth child, Mary, is underlined to indicate her significance as Glick's great grandmother. All 12 family members have a death date written in cursive under their birth date, mimicking a common practice of descendants who added this information years later.
At bottom center, Glick draws a scroll and pen and inscribes his name and the date (1997). At right he adds: "Mary Mast was my great grandmother."
Framed in a new oak frame with glazing, made by Glick's son, a woodworker, who has a woodshop on the Glick farm property, Cut Road, Salisbury Twp.
Group of three fraktur (P97.22.1-.3) was commissioned and purchased from Glick by HCLC as a result of visiting him in his farmhouse Jan 1997 to discuss his penwork. (The two other fraktur, based on the Stoltzfus family record, were specifically purchased for use in the 1997 Exhibit on fraktur.)
Fraktur-style family record of Amish family (Henry and Annie Stoltzfus) done with ink and paint on heavy white paper, framed.
Executed by contemporary Amish scrivener, Old Order Amish Bishop John F. Glick (1912 - Aug 30, 2003), in the style of scrivener David C. Hoke, using the names from a FR by Hoke (see 96.1.1). Fraktur has a vine with blue berries forming a border. Heading at top is "Family Record," done in pink, red, black and gold and heading 1/3 of the way down is "Children," done in pink, mustard, gold and black. Three heads of wheat, tied together, flank each side of "Children" and are used under the names, next to the inscription.
Parents' birth dates are recorded, followed by ten children with birth dates. The father and the son, Levi, have a death date written under their birth date, mimicking a common practice of descendants who added this information years later.
At bottom center, under the wheat decoration, Glick inscribes his name and the date (1997). At right he adds: "David C. Hoke Pattern/ back in the 20's."
Framed in a new oak frame with glazing, made by Glick's son, a woodworker, who has a woodshop right there on the Glick farm property, Cut Road, Gap, PA.
Group of three fraktur (P97.22.1-.3) was commissioned and purchased from Glick by HCLC for use in the 1997 Exhibit on fraktur.
Fraktur family record of Amish family of Henry and Annie Stoltzfus and ten children, done with ink and paint on heavy white paper in oak frame. Executed in the style of scrivener and artist David C. Hoke by Old Order Amish Bishop John F. Glick (1912-Aug 30, 2003).
A contemporary scrivener/artist who learned his craft by copying David Hoke, Glick records this family record in his own style. Here Glick uses the names from a Stoltzfus family record done by Hoke (see P.96.01.1). Glick has a wavy blue ribbon border with flowers at top and bottom. Heading at top is "Family Record" and 1/3 of the way down is "Children," both done in heavy blue lettering with silver highlights. Three heads of wheat flank each side of "Children."
Parents' birth dates are recorded, followed by ten children with birth dates. The father and son, Levi, have a death date written in cursive under their birth dates, following the practice of many descendants who added this information years later.
At bottom center, Glick draws a scroll and pen and inscribes his name and the date (1997).
Framed in a new oak frame with glazing, made by Glick's son, a woodworker, who has a woodshop on the Glick farm property, Cut Road, Gap, PA.
Group of three fraktur (P97.22.1-.3) was commissioned and purchased from Glick by HCLC as a result of visiting him in his farmhouse Jan 1997 to discuss his penwork. This fraktur was purchased for use in the 1997 Exhibit on fraktur.)
Stoltzfus family record on wove paper mounted in a thin, molded modern frame of tiger maple. Hand done family record of Lancaster Amish family attributed to David C. Hoke (active c. 1909-1935). Bold and colorful title is "Family Record" done with wide lettering of red and black with metallic gold highlights accompanied by green-leafed scrolling vines. Title continues on 2nd line with "...of Henry U. and Annie M. Stoltzfus." followed by the father's birth date & death date, then birth date of mother. Her death date is added later on same line with pencil. All lettering is black except for large, ornately illuminated upper case letters.
"Children" is the colorful bold heading for the remaining 3//4 of page listing 10 children with birth dates. The death date for 2-yr-old Levi is also recorded. Title has black and white letters, some red as well as metallic gold highlights. Surrounded by the same leafy scrolling vines and three upside down stalks of wheat at each side.
Remaining side borders have a vertical undulating vine with green leaves and blue clusters of grapes. Bottom is filled with a large cluster of three stalks of wheat.
Very minor stain spots, esp. at corners. Strongly creased horizontal fold line across center.
Object ID
P.96.01.1
Notes
Compare with large Esbenshade family record P.99.16.1. Hoke made Bible entries, bookplates and many large family registers in northern Lancaster County and southern Lebanon County. Large, ornate family registers made for the Amish seem to be a specialty of Hoke. He signed and dated much of his work, oftern including his home location of Quentin and later Lititz.
See file for:
1) Stoltzfus genealogy from "Fisher Family History."
2) Information sheet on David C. Hoke by Russ and Corinne Earnest "Papers for Birth Dayes."
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Coll
Liebesbriefe (love letter) papercut or scherenschnitte on laid paper, mounted on green paperboard within a black wooden frame. Intricately cut circular design has narrow sawtooth border and cutout hearts, urns and flowers (tulips and carnations) in a repeated design. Center has a large flower-like, scalloped edged shape outlined in blue and lines of text written in red ink around periphery. It reads: "Lieben und nicht haben ist harter dann stein graben, und nicht bey sammen seyn(?) / ist fur wahr die groste pein." Appears to read: To love and not have (have love requited) is harder than stone (graben?) and not by ? ? ? is in truth the greatest pain.
16 inverted hearts dominate outer area, arranged in a staggered fashion around periphery. Each heart is alternately edged in blue or red and each is numbered and infilled with an expression of love written in red ink. Eight 2-handled urns radiate outward from center filled with tulip plants that connect with the hearts. Vasiform paper shapes alternate with urns and are decorated with drawings of tulips and blue flowers. Watercolor decoration is typical color palette of red, yellow, blue and what originally was green foliage. On back of acidic paperboard is written "This is probably Christian Strange (sic) Cut-Out." Old paper label taped to back is printed "An Old Pennsylvania / German Valentine."
See David R. Johnson, Christian Strenge's Fraktur, East Petersburg Historical Society, 1995, for two other examples.
Diameter (cm)
33.3375
Diameter (ft)
1.09375
Diameter (in)
13.125
Dimension Details
Diameter of frame is 19.5"
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2017-06-26
Condition Notes
Delicate cutout has heavy losses, especially sawtooth border, parts of flowers & leaves as well as 3 missing vasiform (resembling a tube/duct) shapes with the floral drawings. Fold lines are broken and breaking. Paper generally age-darkened with some scattered light brown stains. Multiple repairs detached elements and pieces of paper pasted onto back for support. Black painted frame has abrasions. Glass has some light molding on inside surface.
Object ID
2017.999.9
Notes
Appraisal conducted by Pastor Fred Weiser, Sept. 2, 1988. He notes that the condition restrains the value. There is a large B & W transparency in the file.
See other examples in David R. Johnson's "Christian Strenge's Fraktur", 1995. (Copies in file, including translation of German).
Scherenschnitte, freehand cutwork on light cream-colored wove paper folded horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, then cut out. Rectangular form is centered with an 8-lobed flower made of four hearts enclosing smaller hearts & a medallion with inscription Surrounded by figures of boys and girls as well as birds and hearts. Colored w/ red and blue paint/gouache and some details in blue ink.
Scotland area, Greene Twp., Franklin Co.
Handwritten in blue at center is: "Margarert [sic] Elizabeth / Farner / A present / By John Farner / March 11th 1854" Made for sister Margaret when John was age 11. Similar one is owned by Jim Gergat, done by Farner in 1854 for Isaac Shetter in Green Twp. in Franklin County. Jim has a photo of recipient Shetter. He owns an additional cutout w/ no written presentation. Gergat states Farner was a Civil War veteran and is buried in Centerville, Cumberland Co. (at intersection of Rt. 174/Walnut Bottom Rd. and Rt. 233 & associated w/ Centerville Lutheran Church, Carlisle).
Provenance
Given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith to the Lancaster County Historical Society with the understanding that it would become part of the collections of The Heritage Center Museum with the establishment of that institution.
Small brown spots overall, especially in top half. Larger brown stains in top left area and central design; possibly faded brown coloring.
Matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard of Carlisle in 1996
Object ID
G.77.50.3
Notes
Earnest, Fraktur: Folk Art & Family, 1999, p. 118.
Informed 1-9-12 by Jim Gergat, former York Co. H. S. curator, of identity of John Farner. See photocopies of his two Farner cutouts in file. Gergat's phone # is (610) 473-0137.
Slide #27-2-10 and Transparency file under "Fraktur" #18.
Removed from Masonic Lodge Fraktur exhibit early 2008.
Exhibited Landis Valley Museum, scherenschnitte exhibit curated by Irwin Richman, May-Dec. 2008.
Place of Origin
Greene Twp., Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
