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
Fraktur birth certificate for Lydia Glasz / Glass, daughter of Leonard Glass and wife Christina, nee German. Hand drawn and colored on paper. Unusual confronting women with yellow dresses and red parasols flank central textblock within border. Tree of life above textblock; undulating plant w/ flowers sit on shelf at sides. Triple-line outside border.
German text translates to "Lydia Glasz daughter of Leonard Glasz and his wife Christina a born German. Was born 25th day of Jan. in the year of our Lord 1811.
Some buckling of paper overall. Some bleeding of ink, causing brown marks around letters; also in entire upper left corner. Small 1.4" brown streak below the word "Christina" in center panel.
Condition report of 1986 by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Phila. in file. No documented treatment. Matted and framed in 1996 by conservator Brian Howard.
Object ID
P.77.12
Notes
Similar to designs of Plate #61 in Weiser & Heaney, Penna. German Fraktur of The Free Library of Phila., v.1.
Research: Ancestry.com gives the marriage of fraktur recipient Lydia Glass to John Kempfer on 20 Nov. 1828 in Ephrata at the Bethany United Church of Christ. Husband John was born 19 Feb. 1809, died 4 April 1865. Lydia died 24 June 1853. Their daughter Elizabeth Kempfer (1836-1909) married David Rudy Buch (1834-1925) and lived in Lititz.
Ancestry also gives the 1810 Census in Earl, Lancaster Co. that lists Leonard Glase with 4 household members under 16 yrs., 1 at 16-25 yrs., and 2 over 25 yrs. Total of seven in home. Lydia was born the following year in 1811.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Framed fraktur birth & baptismal certificate (taufschein/B&BC) for Elisabetha Elser, drawn, lettered and colored by hand on laid paper. Symmetrical, horizontal design is attributed to the "Ehre Vater" artist. Fraktur is mounted on thick paperboard with beveled edges, and is float-mounted on a buff-colored matboard within a modern black frame.
At center is a large circle painted red and green. Inside the circle, set onto yellow ground, is a heart with blue border and pinkish interior. Interior text states Elisabetha Elser was born in Warwick Twp, Lancaster Co. on 19th Nov 1803. Her parents were Peter Elser and wife Elisabetha, born a Wachter. Baptism was held by Pastor Schulz and the sponsors were Georg Wachter and his wife Margaretha (believed to be a sister of Peter Elser). Below circle are two lines of religious verse, translated by Weiser as "A heart that loves Jesus knows no worries -- much cross, need and pain are his days of joy."
At lower right and lower left are two large compass-drawn spheres colored with green, yellow, red, blue and pink. Out of each sphere is a flowering plant on which large parrot-like birds perch, similarly colored.
Attributed to the "Ehre Vater Artist" (active c. 1782-1828).
Some surface soil. Good color retention. Needs to be removed from backing board and conserved.
Object ID
2017.999.1
Notes
Appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. He attributes fraktur to the Ehre Vater artist, a prolific artist who travelled far and wide producing fraktur for many years. This fraktur likely related to Johannes Schnierer B&BC, 2004.718, due to Johannes Schnierer (b. 1786) later marrying an Elser (Catharine).
Papers for Birth Dayes notes on page 227 that this fraktur was exhibited as #38 in the , Allentown Art Museum show in Allentown, PA, "Pennsylvania Folk Art," October 20-Dec. 1, 1974.
The Elser, Weidman/Weydmann, and Wachter families were intermarried.
Resolution naming four individuals to the Marietta and Susquehanna Trading Co. Board of Trustees
Description
Resolution naming four individuals to the Marietta and Susquehanna Trading Co. Board of Trustees. This is most likely the true copy named in the Court papers regarding the bankruptcy of the Marietta & Susquehanna Trading Company. See 8.2.3.004.
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries,
https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
MG-96 James Buchanan Collection
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Notes
May 2020 PastPerfect Conversion
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
JBMS1996.034
Other Number
JBFP Part 8, Series 2, Subseries 3, Folder 3
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Fraktur presentation piece on wove paper, horizontal orientation. Green and brown designs and lettering. Has a foliate border w/ flowers at top center and corners. Large heart dominates design with 5 lines of religious text, and signed at the bottom stating fraktur was made for Anna Funck on 15 Dec 1824 by J. Eberman, schoolmaster. Acanthus like leaves surround heart with several flowers. Five baskets with flowers complete design.
Text: "Jesus ist der schonste nam / Aller, die von himmel kommen, / Huldereich, prachtig, tugendsam, den Gott / Selber angenommen, seiner grossen / lieblichkeit, gleicht kein name weit und breit. / Gemacht von Anna Funck, den 15ten December 1824. J. Eberman / Schul Meister".
Translation: "Jesus is the most beautiful name of all who which came from heaven full of protection, glittering, virtuous, whom God himself, except; His great loveliness is equalled by no name far and wide. Made for Anna Funck 15 December, 1824 (J. Eberman, Schoolmaster)"
Very light age coloring. Two large brown stains / burns at lower left corner. Smaller stains elsewhere. Dog-eared corners. Mounted in a white window mat hinged at top.
