Compass housed in a round, turned brass case with fitted lid. Scored circles decorate exterior. Inside case bottom is paper printed with decoration and cardinal points. Blued needle has gold-stenciled "N" on one end. Flat glass window on top held with brass retaining ring. Lid screws onto case bottom.
Handwritten note states compass brought to America from Nuremburg, Germany by immigrant ancestor John Leonard Ellmaker(1697-1782) in 1726.
Unknown German maker
Provenance
Descent within Ellmaker family to donor, then donated to the Heritage Center.
Air raid curtain or black-out curtain, made of black cotton, apparently a sheet that has been adapted for this purpose. Curtain is hemmed all four sides and has an offset (commercially sewn) seam running vertically. Five unevenly-spaced brass rings have been hand-stitched along top to hang a a window for blacking out any light in the house.
Made or purchased for us in the donor's home by her parents, Henry Keiper Long and Helen Hamaker Long. Her father was a member of Civil Defense during WWII; whenever an air raid siren went off, he would exit the house to check that all his neighbors had blacked out their windows to allow no evidence of light. The Longs' air raid curtain was hung over the dressing room window since the family used a weak light within this room only. After the air raid, her father would go off to join other members of the civil defense team to report findings and to drink. This group was headed by director J. Hale Steinman. Donor indicated her belief that the men used these occasions as an excuse to get together with buddies to drink and socialize.
The Long family lived in a house built by Mr. Long at 1431 Hunsecker Road on the eastern edge of Manheim Twp.
(Written by Wendell Zercher)
Provenance
Donor, Mrs. Nancy L. Gingrich.
Date Range
Early 1940's
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
Island 2
Storage Cabinet
Unit 13
Storage Shelf
Shelf 3
Storage Container
Box 0059
Object Name
Curtain, Window
Length (cm)
35.56
Length (ft)
1.1666666667
Length (in)
14
Width (cm)
469.9
Width (ft)
15.4166666667
Width (in)
185
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2005-06-22
Condition Notes
Very good condition except for slight wear at crotch with seam somewhat separated.
"A.B. Rote & Co., Ornamental and Structural Iron and Steel Works" advertisement containing a list of work done by the company and address. A precise ink drawing (scale 1"= 1 ft.) of a sample ornamental iron gate is featured below the written information.
Items listed include: plain and ornamental iron fences, cellar grates, window guards, iron stairs, fire escapes, stable fittings, brass and iron grilles and railings, elevators enclosures, beams and girders, roof trusses and columns, bolts and anchors and erecting of structural steel works.
Calligraphic quotation written for H.S. Borneman by Irwin P. Mensch, written with white ink on black paper. Mounted in linen window mat in contemporary wooden frame.
Inscribed: "H.S. Borneman: / When love and skill / work together, expect / a masterpiece.-- Ruskin" Signed at bottom right "I.P. Mensch" and dated 29-5-1945 at left corner beside a little drawing of a decorated coffeepot with "HSB" on side.
Calligraphic composition penned by Irwin P. Mensch for Henry S. Borneman, white ink on blue paper. Mounted in linen window mat in contemporary wooden frame.
Composed of scrolls and very artistic flourishes with some flowered curving stems. Inscribed at bottom is "A Specimen made for my Friend / Henry S. Borneman 1947." Signed at lower right: "Irwin P. Mensch" with "April - 1947" at bottom left corner.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern. Machine assembled and hand quilted.
Top: Plain-weave and crepe wool and rayon. Rust red diamond of wool in a Williamsburg blue square; two inner borders (one on diamond and one around square) of the same shiny crepe rayon and red corner blocks. Green wool outer border with Williamsburg blue corner blocks of crepe wool. (Herr notes that the blue fabric in the corner blocks varies from that of the inner borders. Binding is rust red and machine sewn to both back and front.
Back: green plain-weave cotton, machine-joined in three widths.
Quilting: Done in black thread. Diamond has a large repeating star within wreath and a floral or butterfly motif in each corner. Both narrow borders have grapevine pattern. Four triangular blocks of square have a large branching rose & tulip in each, with scallop on all edges. Outer green borders have a vining flower extending into corners to form tied bows.
Herr writes: "The rather stiff open floral quilting patterns seen here are associated with later quilts. One sees more geometric densely quilted flowing patterns in earlier examples."
Provenance
Esprit purchased May 1984 from Phyllis Haders for $9,000.
Vibrant colors but LARGE, HEAVY liquid staining esp. within the triangular blocks.
Quilt report by conservator Linnea S. Davis in 1990 states condition is excellent, almost new. Says batt may have substantial natural oils affecting color of backing. She does note "very faint" blue-green rings from moisture or wool oils within 3 color triangles in turquoise; also 3 tiny white paint spots within inner border.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern w/ Sunshine and Shadow variation, c. 1940. Unusual features, especially the one outer border of plum fabric that has no corner blocks. Open quilting style based on rose patterns suggests a later date than for most of the quilts in this collection.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Dark multi-colored diamond of S & S blocks uses turquoise, brown, purple and plum. Triangles are blue and inner border is reddish brown with blue corner blocks. Outer borders are blue?? with only two plum corner blocks. One entire side is made of the plum fabric! Binding is black.
Back: Two halves of different cottons: each a blue-and-white printed plain-weave. One is a busy pattern of diamonds and the other is a more subdued pattern. Small-scale printed B & W and Blue & W fabrics were often used in comination as backs of Lancaster County Amish quilts.
Quilting is not dense. Crosshatch in S & S center; a variety of unusual stylized roses & tulips in all other areas.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Holsteins on 6-12-1986 for $10,000.
Condition report by student intern E. Miller, 7/18/13, shows repair to outer seam of center diamond. Several small holes within outer border. Reverse has two brown stains near one side. Quilt does not hang well. See also Esprit condition reports.
