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.
Birth & Baptismal Certificate (B & BC) attributed to teacher K. F. Seybold (arctive c. 1813-1846) for Catharina Laugomar, born 16 Mar 1828 in the kingdom of Wurtenburg, now Germany. She was baptized by Magister Frass & witnessed by Johan Georg Abele and wife Anna Catharina, nee Bay(in).
Executed on wove paper with ink & unusual coloring. Yellow, blue and red are used. Page is pasted onto paperboard. Within a line border is an off-center heart in upper 3/4 of design. Heart has a bible verse in upper section and short prayer below, followed by 1847. Heart decorated with flowers along top & sides with color-striped curtains (?) draping off upper sides of heart. Bottom tip of heart has long, radiating, colored leaves, also decorated with colored "pearls". is a text block in German noting the birth and baptism of Anna Catharina Laugomar, born 1828 in Wurtzburg (now in Germany). Master Frass baptized Anna Catharina and Joh. Georg Abele and wife Ana Catharina nee Bay(in) were witnesses. At bottom of design, outside of border has swags edged in more colored "pearls". Reverse side has typed translation (not pencil corrections by Fred Weiser) by Rev. Harvey Swanson, 538 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster.
Pasted onto paperboard. Darkening from acid burn; blotchy staining overall but darker at top center and left as well from heart bottom to bottom of text. Vertical tears at top center; tape stain visible underneath. Bottom left corner torn off. Needs to be removed from acidic board.
Object ID
2017.999.22
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #21 during this event.
Artist Karl Friedrich Seybold immigrated from Germany to America in 1806. By 1813 he was a schoolmaster in Northampton Co. and later in Lancaster Co.
Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificate for Lidia Rothrock, born 9 Jan 1842 to parents Jacob Rothrock and wife Elizabeth nee Epler(in) in Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co. Baptised 31 Aug 1842 by Pastor Gerhard; parents were sponsors.
Conventional angel form has tall text block between confronting angels; one holds a wreath, the other a bird. Eagle at top center and large perching birds at bottom corners. Imprint at very bottom is "Gedruckt und zu haben bey G.S. Peters, -- Harrisburg, Pa." This color-printed form was printed between 1840 and 1842. See K. Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74
Printed in Harrisburg, PA by G. S. Peters; Infill & decoration likely Londonderry Twp., Dauphin Co.
Provenance
Unknown. Donor Kathryn Feagley (1895-1986) and husband Joseph C. Feagley (1895-1971) were Lancaster City residents.
Some brown stains, hazy stains from bottom center to page center and Southeast of the eagle. Some foxing at side edges. A 2 1/4" tear at left center and 1" tear above right center. Small adhesive paper stick on back.
Object ID
1975.031
Notes
One of the fraktur collection appraised by Pastor Fred Weiser, 2 Sept 1988. Numbered #33.
This color imprint was produced by Gustav S. Peters between 1840 and 1842 according to Klaus Stopp, The B & BCs of the Pa. Germans, Vol. 3, pp. 70-74.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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 & 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, hand-made Geburts und Taufschein (B&BC), watercolor over pencil, on ruled wove paper, signed on back in pencil: "Henry Lapp / 1872"
Dominating the page is a large rounded heart, outlined in dark green and red, with an exterior conforming border of green vines (edged in black pen) and pink flowers. Written in Ink within the heart is a Christian exhortation: "Selig sind, die Gottes Wort / horen, bewahren und befolgen! / Christus bleibt Dein treuer Dort / Er wird fur Dich dan(?) sorgen". Crowning the heart at top is a ribbon-like banner in blue w/black highlighted edges with "Geburts // und Tauf // Schein." printed within it. A yellow flower peeks out from behind the banner.
Below the heart, is a horizontal rectangle outlined in blue and red, are 2 lines, poorly executed, written in black ink: "Befolge stets die Schrift, sie sei Dein Gluck auf Erden / Sie Fuhrt Dich auf den Weg das Himelreichzuerben." (It begins, "Always obey Scripture...").
According to the inscription & date on the reverse of this B&BC, Henry Lapp would only have been executed by Lapp at age 10. See a nearly identical B&BC -- P.97.41.2.
Provenance
Purchase at Lloyd C. and Miriam H. Hinden sale at Horst Auction, Nov. 15, 1997
Watercolored drawing on wove paper. Symmetrical design has a heart at bottom center with religious text. It reads: "Gottes brune/lein hat wasser / die Fulle Amen." (God's little well has an abundance of water). Growing out of the heart is a tall flowered stem extending to top of page. Top flower is a large tulip of yellow, red and blue. Large, confronting birds perch on small side branches terminating with small tulips. Birds have yellow bodies, blue wings and head, with red beaks and neck ring. Red and yellow carnations on side branching stems below. Heart is flanked at bottom by two birds with blue bodies, yellow wings and red heads. Mounted in an off-white window mat with two paper hinges at top. This is drawn by the same artist as 2017.999.18 and executed at the same time. Colors are the same.
Overall light brown age darkening. Several small brown stains; worst one is under top left bird. Very light creases/buckling across surface. Right edge is wavy. Upper left corner has crease where folded back.
Object ID
2017.999.17
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #28 during this event.
Watercolored drawing on wove paper. Symmetrical design has a heart just below center with religious text written in red. It reads: "Das blut Jesu Christ des sohnes Gottes macht und rein von allen sunden Amen." (The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, purifies us from all sins. Amen). Growing out of the heart are three stems: the center one has a small flower but the side ones terminate with tulips and have birds perching just below. Tulips are red and blue; birds have red bodies, blue wings and yellow heads. In each bottom corner is a prancing blue horse.
Mounted in an off-white window mat with two paper hinges at top. This is drawn by the same artist and at the same time as 2017.999.17. Identical colors used.
Overall light brown age darkening. Several small brown stains appear similar to foxing. Wavy horizontal wrinkle across page near top. Three light creases in bottom half. Bottom left corner has crease where folded. A 1/2" tear at bottom, one inch from right corner.
Object ID
2017.999.18
Notes
Appraisal done by Pastor Fred Weiser on 2 Sept 1988. Marked fraktur #16 during this event.
Presentation piece is a square sheet of wove paper with hand-printed, multicolored lettering. It reads: "To / Miss Catharine Harnish / of West Lampeter Township, / Lancaster County, Pa."
In small, cursive handwriting in blue ink is "From your friend -- When this you sing remember me, / Though many miles we distant be,". Unsigned. Done by the same maker as the 1843 acrostic for Catharine Harnish, 2017.999.24, and probably the same time.
Acrostic for Catharine Harnish on vertically orientated page of wove paper, done by the same maker as the Presentation Piece, 2017.999.23.
Large cursive lettering in both red and blue at top, left and bottom. Top has "An Acrostic.", left side has "West Lampeter" and bottom has "Township, Lancaster / County, / Pa", followed in tiny lettering by "Feb. 26, 1843." Body of text is blue cursive except for ornate, red initial letters. Red letters, read vertically are "CATHARINE HARNISH" and lines compose a clever, original, rhyming poem of religious verse. Additional small writing along left side of poem has "When this you see, remember me, Though many miles, we distant be."
Light soil, smudges, with significant staining, esp. at edges. Dark stain on fifth line. Edges have some nicks. Bottom edge very rough with losses and two 1 1/2" long tears extending upward. A 2" ragged tear at top edge 2 3/4" from left corner; a 1/2" tear 2 1/2" from left corner. Puncture above "love" in first line.
Object ID
2017.999.24
Notes
One of the Fraktur Collection appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, Sept. 1988. Numbered #41.
