Mennonite apron of bleached, plain-weave cotton and black two-ply silk embroidery. Apron is gathered at the top and sewn onto a waist band with a commercial tape string at each end.
At top center is a dark brown cross-stitched design of a central star flower on triangle base, surrounded by seven stars or crosses. The separated initials "M S" flank this design and large crosses flank initials. Three different embroidered borders of black silk combine with drawnwork at bottom above a one-inch self-fringe secured with black stitches.
Provenance
Purchased by donor from the Rev. Fred Weiser in 1997. Weiser notes there are about 15 aprons known; see article in Der Regebogge written "some years ago."
Staining around embroidered design and initials from bleeding embroidery, near top. Age discoloration with small stains overall. Stains along sides. Several thread "pulls". Areas of missing embroidery on three crosses at bottom. Small hole at lower right of design.
Conserved Nov. 1997 by Dorothy McCoach of Bethlehem, PA
Object ID
G.97.39.9
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Hampton Randolph, Sr., Heritage Center Collection
Brass buckle of the sword belt used with the Civil War uniform of Jacob Pontz (1838-1929). Rectangular buckle is cast in high relief with a raised spread eagle with E PLURIBUS UNUM banner in his beak and an olive branch in one talons and arrows of war in the other. Foliate branches undergird eagle with a "U" formation. One brass clasp/clip of belt is loose - a part that would have fit end of now-missing belt and attached via clip on back of buckle.
See Pontz Sword #2015.031.1
Provenance
Passed from Jacob through his daughter Nelle who married a Pickering to the donor, the gr gr granddaughter of the Jacob Pontz.
Silk, green and brown plaid dress, hand sewn. Store bought, brown yellow green trim, long sleeve, bodice, and flounce. Sleeves, bodice, and flounce lined in polished cotton.
Possible later alerations, including the conversion of the neck into v-neck, also possible alterations to hem, trim, and sleeve.
Green and wine colored silk damask weave, wide striped, with floral design, and narrowewr multi-colored stripes, with black velvet trim on sleeves, tan polished cotton lining on bodice, and blue polished cotton lining on skirt panel. Breast padding in bodice, wooden stays in bodice. Finely stitched, with various colored thread. Right side pocket. Closes right over left.
Brown silk 1850-1860 day dress. Coat style sleeves with fringe around cuff. Wooden stays in bodice. Unique acorn shaped buttons down the front of the bodice. Back seams of bodice altered/let out. The skirt is pleated through the front and gaged in the back portion. The bodice is lined in a linen. The bodice and sleeves are fully lined, and the bottom seven inches of the skirt are lined in a darker brown polished cotton similar to the color of the dress.
