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.
Birth & Baptismal Certificate (B&BC) is a printed angel type fraktur on wove paper. Mounted in modern silver frame by The Country Framer of West Chester.
Putto on blue-colored cloud at top; standing angels with paint-decorated clothing stand on blue clouds at sides of center text. Birds on branches at bottom corners. A small block of German verse within border is at each top corner. A large bordered text block at center extends to bottom, entitled "Geburts-und Tauf-schein". Text in upper half has subject's infill done with accomplished hand. At center of text block is a rarely used pair of billing birds. Four stanzas of verse within bottom section have tailpiece of cornucopia & wheat between. Under a line border at bottom is "Reading: / Gedruckt bey Johann Ritter und Comp. / im jahr 1812." Ritter's imprints were never dated except for 1811 & 1812.
Infill gives birth of Elisabeth Lang (Long) born in Rapho Twp. to Johann Lang and wife Margaretha, nee Lindemuth(in). Baptised July 2, 1815 by Pastor Baethis; sponsor was Elisabeth Bartruff.
Reading imprint, Johann Ritter; scrivener and artist unknown, perhaps Lancaster County.
Fraktur is apparently a religious text with multiple flourishes along top and a wide margin at left filled with a large stylized tulip on a thin stem with other flowers and leaves densely filling space. Penwork is black iron gall ink on laid paper. The paper seems to be small pages from a book, pasted together to created a larger sheet. Reverse has strips of paper pasted onto seams (some replaced with later cellophane tape) from a book.
Top line of text is large fraktur lettering "Mein Gott ich Klopff(?) an(?)", with initial "M" enlarged and decorated. Seven lines of script follow, with a line of upper and lower case letters below. Across bottom is "My Child y wil you learned a Was of the bast you must butt (put) your trust of God at last" Final line is tiny script and in the center of this line is written in red ink "Hinerich Sleo(?)". With the alphabet, this piece is like a Vorschrift.
Appears to be 4 small pages pieced together to create a large one. Paper strips pasted on back at seams and some cellophane tape. Multiple problems. Paper overall is age darkened with multiple small brown stains, some large blotches. Holes in iron gall ink, esp. the large tulip. Some paper seams are breaking with with one hole just above center. Edges ragged, torn and folded back. 1' x 2" loss of top left corner; 1" x 3/4" loss of top right corner, and similar loss at bottom left corner. Paper hinged onto matboard with ivory window mat.
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.
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:
Printed angel form B & BC for unknown daughter born 4 June1823 in Lancaster County. Infill is in German script. Father appears to be Abraham --racht? and mother is Catharina, nee ??. Baptism information not infilled, except for daughter's name.
A variant of the standing angel form has angels flanking center text block titled "Geburts- und Taufschein". Scene at top is Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. At bottom is a domed temple and perching birds are at bottom corners. Five smaller bordered boxes contain religious verse. Bottom-most box has "Reading, / Gedrckt (sic) und zu haben bey / Heinrich B. Sage." Color decorated throughout.
Light soil, small stains and strong foxing. Fold lines breaking, esp. vertical fold, which also has some holes. Three half-circle chunks of paper have been torn out at left edge and two are at right edge. All mended by cellophane tape. All edges ragged and dark brown. Inserted into mylar sleeve.
Object ID
2017.999.26
Notes
Not found in the list of the Fraktur Collection appraised by Rev. Fred Weiser, Sept. 1988.
This imprint by Heinrich Sage of Reading is a variant of the angel form numbered 739.1 or 740 in Klaus Stopp's "The Printed BBCs of the German Americans", vol. IV, page 265. Note the word Gedruckt (printed) is misspelled, missing the "u".
Hand-done B&BC on wove paper is torn and pieces attached to a larger, light brown paper with 5 straight pins. Tall columns with molded caps on top, in turn with round balls on top. Table-saw-like motif at top center is a circle divided in quarters of red and yellow, with a fringe of small slanting leaves.At bottom is a flowering plant. This decoration resembles that of Samuel Bentz.
Text block filling center is hand-printed German in black ink, copying the form of a printed B&BC with spaces for someone to infill later. Title at top is in red: "Geburts und Tauf Schein." and next line is in blue: "Diesen beyden Ehegatten als." Curlicues trail off the tops of the "ascenders" of letters in the first several lines. Blanks of this form infilled with very faded red scrawled script. A daughter was born 22 Dec? 1823. Names and places uncertain.
Paper onto which fraktur is mounted is H: 13 W: 11
Condition
Poor
Condition Date
2017-10-03
Condition Notes
Paper is pliable but soiled with blotches of brown staining, some very large. Colors faded. Much of fraktur is missing, esp. upper left and lower left. Large section of upper right corner torn off and pinned in place next to main section. Both fraktur and esp. paper onto which it is mounted are irregularly cut with many wrinkles, folds and tears.
Printed B&BC, standing angel type, done for William --- Hammer, born 11 Jan 1827 in Orwiksburg(sic), Schukllyr(sic) Co. Pa., son of Joseph Hammer and wife Phillipina, nee Huntzinger. Baptized by Thomas Bock in 1827; sponsors were Jacob & Susanna Huntzinger.
Multicolor fraktur pasted onto heavy brown paper w/ edges folded around to front and pasted onto fraktur edges.
Printed in Reading; Likely infilled in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County. Printer: Heinrich B. Sage; Infill: unknown
Heavy stains, broken vertical center fold line, pasted onto heavy brown paper with edges brought around to front and pasted onto edges of fraktur. Heavy paste along vertical fold line.
Printed angel-type birth and baptism certificate infilled for Sara Kupper, born Jan. 1822 in Mifflin Twp., Dauphin Co. Parents were Johannes Kupper and wife Maria, born a Miller. Sara was baptized 12 May 1822 by Rev. Schart and parents were sponsors.
Fraktur has outside border of medallions with scrolls. Standing angels flank central text block with infill; eagle at top center; flowers and baskets of flowers bottom center, flanked by two perching birds at each side. Angels are painted a dense red, birds are both red and blue. Flowers are red, blue and yellow. Medallions in outside border alternate between red and yellow.
Imprint at bottom center is "Reading / Gedruckt und zu haben / bey / Carl A. Bruckman." It was printed c. 1820-1822 (see Notes). Unknown scrivener and decorator. Infill done in small German script. Watercolored with red, yellow and blue on angels, putto and birds with red spiky crests on heads.
This laid paper has a watermark of "AH" immediately followed by a slightly smaller "AHN". This is the watermark for John Adam Heilman who erected the 1st paper mill in Lebanon Co, on Cattail Run near Swatara, PA. (see American Watermarks 1690-1835, p. 270)
Printed Reading by Carl A. Bruckman; Infilled likely in Dauphin County by unknown.
Some light soil, age yellowing and light foxing. Edges have attractive "torn" look. A 1" tear at bottom center has cellophane tape mend creating some staining.Tiny hole at top right corner, within the small text block. Also an irregular break under elbow of putto Small inked "C" at top near left corner. Small nicks and losses around edges with some folded over paper.
Object ID
2004.749
Notes
Apopraised by Rev. Fred Weiser 2 Sept 1988. Assigned #49.
See other Kupper family B&BCs in collection -- fraktur # 7 & 9
2003.076 Johannes
2004.752 Allen
2017.999.11 Johann Adam Kupper 1788
Printer Carl Augustus Bruckman printed this BBC form with some small yet distinct printing variations. Klaus Stopp in The B&BC of the German Americans lists this BBC for Sara on page 286, variation #759. Stopp dates the imprint c. 1820-1822.
Watermark identified American Watermarks 1690-1835, p. 270, the Lebanon Co. paper mill of John Adam Heilman.
