Birth and baptismal certificate imprinted 1788 at Ephrata Cloister printshop; infill and fanciful hand-decorated borders by Arnold Hoevelmann. Watercolor decoration includes various fantastical flowers on arching vines emanating from huge pumpkin-like flower at the top, with vines arching down to each side ending in large tulips. Additional flowers below. Hunter is in colonial dress with large black hat, firing his rifle at a stag on the far left side. Strongly colored with mostly red, blue, purple, and yellow. Hoevelmann consistently used a flower motif decorated with what some believe to be a capital letter "H" (his monogram). This fraktur is a rare example of human figures being depicted.
Ephrata Cloister 1788 imprint; artwork by Arnold Hoevelmann (1749-1804)
Certificate done for Jacob Stuart, born December 29, 1784. son of Jacob Stuart and wife Maria Catharina (no maiden name). It appears he was born in "Mauntschey" (Mt. Joy) Twp. Pastor Wilhelm Hendel baptized the child but no date is included. Hoevelmann wrote "Witnesses" at the end, but no names. Later ink inscription added at lower right appears to be subject's age (69) at time of death, 2nd Jan. 1854." Pencil calculation of age at top, to left of large orange flower.
Provenance
Ex-Unger collection, Pottsville.
In 1974, Richard F. and Joane Smith entrusted this BBC to the Lancaster County Historical Society with the understanding that it would become part of the Heritage Center collection when established.
Fragile, with overall buckling and pronounced wringling across surface. Areas of foxing.
Conserved by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts 1988-89: cleaned, removed paper backing, mended and matted for original frame (report in file). Remounted and framed by Carlisle conservator Brian Howard in 1996.
Object ID
G.77.50.9
Notes
Family tradition says Hoevelmann was born in Prussia in 1749, came to America along with LaFayette and served as a surgeon during the American Revolution. It is likely he and his wife Eva Susanna lived in Lancaster Co. since two sons were baptized at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (1780 and 1793). He worked in many PA counties, including Washington Co. in MD, and is believed to be buried at Frieden's Church near Shiremanstown, Cumberland Co. Based on the many known B&BC's by Hoevelmann, it appears he used printed forms early in his career and completely hand-done certificates later in life.
Allthough born in Lancaster Co., Jacob Stuart appears to have lived in Lebanon County during much of his adult life. He and his family attended Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Church, Jackson Twp., Lebanon Co. was where he was married, 31 Dec 1805 and appears to have had at least 7 children according to church records of 1800-1856. Jacob "Stewart", his wife Elizabeth and two daughters (Henrietta & Clementine) are buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Myerstown, Lebanon Co. The 1850 Census shows Jacob "Stewert", Elizabeth and Clementine living in Marion Twp, Berks Co. (Marion Twp. borders Jackson Twp., Lebanon Co.)
See:
1. Shelley, Donald A., The Fraktur-Writings or Illuminated Manuscripts of the Pa Germans, Pa. German Folklore Society, 1961, plate #84.
2. Earnest Associates, Papers for Birth Dayes, pp. 399-401.
3. Kline and Weiser, "A Fraktur Fest" in Der Regebogge, Sept-Dec., 1970, Vol. 4, pp. 3-5.
4. Stopp, Klaus, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans, Vol. II, pp. 150-151. (This example is numbered 246.3 by Stopp)
5. Photo on p. 120 of Corinne & Russell Earnests' Fraktur: Folk Art & Family, 1999.
Heritage Center slide collection #27-2-5 (now in Photo Collection)
Place of Origin
Ephrata
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Bookplate for Peter T.(?) Stauffer penned in purple lettering by Thomas H. Wall (active circa 1876-1898) on a detached end page of a book. Wove paper is light brown. The name arches at top of page with "1876" directly underneath. Embellished with filligree and other decorative flourishes.
Birth and baptismal certificate lithographed in German by Augustus Kollner of Phila. is infilled for the Frankhausser (Frankhauser) family of East Cocalico Twp. Image is colored with yellow border and smaller details in blues and pink. Frame is walnut veneer on flat, angled profile.
Titled "Geburts- und Taufschein", the vertical design on wove paper (14 1/4" x 10 1/4") features elaborate foliate scrolling along architectural sides & base borders, culminating in a leafy broken arch at top, flanked by putti & verses from the gospel of Matthew. Under arch is a nativity scene and within niches at side columns are two men, apparently John the Baptist at left and Jesus at right. Jesus' baptism is pictured within architectural border at bottom, flanked with religious verse. Printed at bottom is "For Sale by Augs. Kollner, corner of Second & Dock Sts. Phil.a / Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1849, by Augs. Kollner, in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pa."
German text is printed within open center area; infilled by unknown scrivener in a large, flowing script that contains several spelling errors. To Heinrich Frankhauser and his wife Marie nee Leath was born a son John Lamon the 7th of April, 1854 in East Cocalico Twp. He was baptized the 5th of October, 1854 by Pastor Ries and sponsored by the parents. (Rev. Charles Reese was the pastor 1852-1857 at Muddy Creek Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ellis & Evans, p. 713).
Printed Philadelphia by Augustus Kollner; Infilled in Cocalico Twp. by unknown scrivener
Generally very good condition. Moderate darkening along edges and light darkening overall. Small stains & foxing sprinkled within text and elsewhere. Reverse side shows yellow liquid stain, apparently bleed-through from watercolored column & arch.
Framed with acidic wood backboard, now replaced with acid free Foam core. Frame refinished w/ minor damage & wear.
Object ID
P.07.07.1
Notes
Most Frankhausers were living in Brecknock Twp. during the late 1800s. The 1864 ATLAS has two properties labeled "H. Frankhauser", one SE of Napierville (E. Cocalico) & one SE of Muddy Creek (Brecknock) (See file). The 1890 Directory has widow Maria F. living in Muddy Creek.
Printer was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1813, studied painting & lithography & emigrated to Phila. in 1839 or 1840. He was active independently as a lithographer before 1849 & an artist in watercolor until the 1870s. From 1849-1951 he was associated with the German printer Johann Henry Camp.
Birth and baptismal certificate, done on cream-colored laid paper, hand lettered in black ink and colored with red, yellow, and blue highlights. Framed with a border, the text block at center has a large swirl design on the left, inner and outer cutwork borders, with floral design. A heart is in each corner. The most notable trademark of Faber's work is the cutwork border that surround the text.
The text records the birth of Augustus Enck on Nov. 11, 1816 and his subsequent baptism on December 25, 1816 in Warwick Township by Reformed Minister Faber (apparently Rev. John Theobald Faber, b. 1771, who served the New Holland Reformed Church 1807-1819). The parents were Johannes Enck and his wife Catharina Schiffler Enck. The witnesses were Johannes Schiffler and his wife Catharina Obiggemeldeter(?) Schiffler. The text concludes with four lines of religious verse.
Wilhelm Antonius Faber (active c. 1790-1818).
Provenance
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith. Donated to the Heritage Center, but first entrusted to L.C.H.S. for years until museum was well established.
One horizontal crease along the middle and three vertical creases. Four significant stains near the center, two at the top and two at the bottom, almost mirror images. There are several tears in the cut border, and one small fragment is in an envelope in the object file. Top center of border has crude insert of about 6 1/2" in length. Multiple losses of paper due to "strike-through" of iron gall ink.
A condition report and estimate were done by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Phila. in 1986. Matted and framed by Carlisle conservator Brian Howard in 1996.
Object ID
G.77.50.2
Notes
The Earnests note that Faber reportedly was a Moravian who lived for a time in the Moravian community of Lititz. He may have been a schoolmaster there. Also in this collection is a Faber double bookplate done for Henrich Benitsch about 1815 (P01.45.01).
Research: Augustus Enck/Enk was a carpenter in Lititz according to the Lancaster Co. Directory of 1869. Parents buried in the Zion German Reformed Church Cemetery in Brickerville, Clay Twp. Augustus and several siblings were members of the Moravian church and are buried in the church cemetery (Plot: Avenue 3, Left Side, Row 19, Space 14).
Digital image on CD, located in file 77.12.
Lancaster Co. Directory of 1869 and Ellis and Evans' History of Lancaster Co.
This fraktur was published in Fraktur: Folk Art & Family, by Corinne and Russell Earnest, 1999, p. 21.
Place of Origin
Lexington, Warwick Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Printed fraktur taufschein (B&BC in German) for Michael Ruthisill, born Aug. 17, 1808 and baptized Aug. 30, 1808 by Pastor (Gotthilf Henry Ernestus) Muhlenberg at the Lutheran Church in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. Parents were Philip and Susanna (Schreiner) Ruthisill and the sponsors were Michael and Catharina Ruthisill (grandparents?).
Certificate printed by Lancaster printer Benjamin Grimler in 1803. Penwork & decoration attributed to the "Ruffled Tulip Artist" by the Earnests (9-14-98). See object file for info.
Printed on laid paper, fraktur has a large central heart and two smaller hearts at bottom with verses in German in each. Large heart has main text, with blanks filled in by scrivener/artist in red ink. 1/4-inch-wide yellow border around perimeter. Hand-drawn floral motifs surround the large heart: large tulip-like flowers at top and bottom center, flowering vine at sides and smaller flowers above small hearts and within large heart. Colored in red, green and yellow.
The "Ruffled Tulip Artist" was working circa 1799-1813. He drew distinctive ruffles around large and folky tulips and infilled in German on printed three-heart forms, of which seven are known - all birth & baptismal certificates.
Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans, Vol. III, p. 128.
Ellis and Evans, History of Lancaster County, p. 498.
Earnests, Papers for Birth Dayes, Vol.II, pp. 659-60.
Provenance
Donor reports his wife has Rudisill ancestors. He and his wife received this fraktur with instructions to sell the piece upon their demise in order to pay for funeral expenses. The fraktur was never sold, even now that his own wife has died. See genealogy of Rudisill family in file, given by Lisa Garrett, cousin of donor's wife. Lisa says donor died in 1998.
Condition when received: Entire piece buckled, pasted onto brown Kraft paper. Multiple tears and losses, especially at center of right and left sides; tears and small hole at center. Some foxing, general soiling, and water damage to colors in vining at sides. Color smears and fingerprints, esp. at top and bottom floral device. Small tears and curling at most edges.
At present: Conserved, matted and placed in sealed package by Marilyn Kemp Weidner in 1999 for $1,553. Framed by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
G.98.27.1
Notes
Four other copies of Grimler's printed certificate known, according to Klaus Stopp (The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans Vol. III, p. 128). Three of these were filled out for Warwick Twp. residents;the other for a Manheim Twp. resident. This 1803 print preceded Grimler's partnership with brother Henry which opened in 1804. From 1799-1812, when Lancaster was the seat of State government, the two brothers were employed by the Legislature to do the State printing. Benjamin was elected to the Lower House of the Assembly in 1824 and died in 1832.
See Rudisill genealogy in file, given by Lisa Garrett. It states John Michael Rudisill was born 17 Aug 1808 and died 8 Nov 1843. He married Maria Magdalena Kurtz on 17 May 1829, daughter of Conrad Kurtz and his wife Susanna Barbara Erb.
Large 8" x 10" color transparency in object file.
Place of Origin
Manheim Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Daniel S. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
Memorial record made by Thomas J. Stevens on heavy tan paper. The unique open-letter style is done in black ink with gold highlights on upper case letters and black inked lower case letters. His lettering is "shaded" by red hash marks above them. Text surrounded by a thin black border line with flowers with long black stems coming out of corners and the center of the sides towards the script. Flowers have red petals and green leaves and the script is accented with gold and green. Border has gold accents at the corners.
The top half of the record begins with, "IN MEMORY/ of/ Our Beloved Parents" and continues with their names and dates as follows: "Benjamin Beiler. Born 26th April, 1830/ Died 6th Jan. 1910. Aged 79 yrs. 8 mos. 9 days./ Mary E. [Esh] Beiler. Born 12th July. 1835./ Died 25th Nov. 1908. Aged 73 yrs. 4 mos. 12 days."
The bottom half of the record is a poem which reads: "God His message sent to call them/ From their Labor here below;/ And we hope to those fair Mansions,/ Where the weary Pilgrims go./ Oh Children dear why do you weep,/ Since we a resting Place have found/ So calm and peaceful we shall sleep/ Beneath our green and mossy mound./ Oh let them sleep on so free from all pain/ Oh make not their sweet Spirits to suffer again;/ They slumber so soundly, Oh let them sleep on;/ Their sickness is ended their troubles are gone./ Gone But not Forgotten."
The signature at the bottom reads: "Thomas J. Stevens./ Lancaster./ Pa./ 22. June 1915."
This is one of two signed pieces done by Stevens. Another large family record is of the Amos and Mattie Lapp family, is undated and is owned by Goshen College's Mennonite Historical Library. Other pieces were done by Stevens for the Amish (several owned by Parmer). See also in HCLC collections, family records in Bibles P94.15.2 and P95.22.1.
Provenance
Seller purchased at sale of Lydia S. Stoltzfus (Mrs. Isaac F. Stiltzfus), New Holland, the granddaughter of Ben & Mary Beiler. Her father was David E. Beiler (Fisher #7783). Thus, the fraktur appears to have been owned by the son, David E. Beiler, and perhaps commissioned by him.
Paper is darkened, especially around edges. Some light soiling and fingerprints. Minor foxing, especially near top left corner. Some light creasing, especially around edges. Small light colored areas of wear around the periphery. Small hole 1 1/2" below signature. Top edge is worn. Dark brown stain, bottom edge towards right and at top right corner of border. Back has greater areas of wear and soiling with some water stains. Framed in archival materials, Feb. 2000, by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.00.06.1
Notes
See object file for bio sketch of Stevens done by seller John (Jack) Parmer. Includes family genealogy of Benjamin Beiler (Fisher Book #7781). He lived 1830-1910 and in 1857 married Mary Esh (1835-1908). Benjamin Beiler was also a gifted artist and did bookplates, etc. Parmer notes that one elderly Amish woman, Lydia S. Stoltzfus Petersheim, recalls Stevens in 1925 as a "little Englishman", walking from farm to farm carrying his wooden artist's case. At this time she was a 9-year-old child and Stevens inscribed her Bible.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Irene N. Walsh, Heritage Center Collection
Birth and baptismal certificate for Jacob Weydmann, printed on laid paper at the Ephrata Cloister at the request of Henrich Otto (c.1733-99), who also decorated this fraktur. Infill attributed to Henrich Dulheuer (active c.1780-86);
Center text block with textile border below was printed with the date of 1784 (lower right). Klaus Stopp believes the bird-panels at top and sides were printed later (1785-87) (See Notes). Dulheuer later infilled the family information in red. Otto decorated with green, red, yellow, and blue.
B & BC is for Jacob Weydmann, born Oct. 28, 1762 in Cocalico Twp., a son of Jacob and Barbara (Huber) Weydmann. By the time the taufschein was completely printed and finally infilled and decorated, Jacob Weydmann would have been at least in his mid-20s.
Much of the edges is missing, esp. the top corners. Significant vertical crease down the center, various other creases and wrinkles. Large brown stains in lower half. The piece has been mounted on a brown backing, and missing areas of the design have been filled in.
A treatment proposal done by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in 1986 mentioned filling in the design, but there is no record of when it was actually done. Matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard of Carlisle in 1996.
Object ID
G.77.50.8
Notes
Dulheuer was one of the first scriveners to fill out printed forms (Earnests). Pictured in Corinne & Russell Earnests' book, Fraktur: Folk Art & Family on p. 34.
See Bookplate in New Testament (G.77.50.5) of family member Margaret Weidman. See also Paul Flack Sale of Oct 2012 at Pook & Pook for nearly identical printed Birth Certificate of sister Catharina, born 1768 (in object file).
The Elser, Weidman/Weydmann, and Wachter families were intermarried.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Printed angel-type birth and baptisimal certificate (B&BC) in German on wove paper. Jacob Leininger was born in 1852, the son of Friederich Leininger and wife Elisabeth nee Ksander of West Cocalico Twp. Baptized by Rev. Carl Ries.
Border surrounds the central text block with infill, flanked by two angels. At top center is a putto with two boxes of text at sides. On the top of the page is a cherub flanked by two boxes of text. Flanking the main text are two large angels, facing toward the center. Two perching birds at lower sides. Bordered text block at bottom center has religious verse with two tailpieces filling space: above text is woman with shield reading "IN GOD WE HOPE" and below is an emblem with horns over flowering branches. Below this is the imprint: "Gedruckt und zu haben bei A. Puwelle, Reading, Penn."
Birds, putto and angels are fancifully decorated with yellow, blue, red, brown and various shades of green. Mounted in black frame with cream colored mat.
Printed: Reading by Arnold Puwelle; Infill & decoration: unknown.
Large tear on top, near center. Tear on right side. below center. Two tears on left side. Moderate creasing, especially lower left corner. Moderate staining, especially on left side.
Framed in archival materials in 2/2000 by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
P.00.09.2
Notes
Reference: The Printed B & B C of the German Americans, Klaus Stopp, vol. 4, p. 292. According to Stopp, this variant of Puwelle's printed form was done c. 1852 and is assigned #769. Stopp lists this Puwelle fraktur for the Leininger family as an example.
Fraktur family record of Amish family of Stephen and Hannah Miller Mast and ten children, done with ink and paint on heavy white paper in oak frame. Executed in the style of scrivener David C. Hoke by Old Order Amish Bishop John F. Glick (1912-Aug 30, 2003).
A contemporary scrivener who learned his craft by copying David Hoke, Glick records the family of his great grandmother Mary Mast (1832-1924). Fraktur has a wavy ribbon border with flowers at top and bottom. Heading at top is "Family Record" and 1/3 of the way down is "Children," both done in heavy red lettering with silver highlights. Three heads of wheat flank each side of "Children."
Parents' birth dates and marriage date are recorded, followed by ten children with birth dates. The sixth child, Mary, is underlined to indicate her significance as Glick's great grandmother. All 12 family members have a death date written in cursive under their birth date, mimicking a common practice of descendants who added this information years later.
At bottom center, Glick draws a scroll and pen and inscribes his name and the date (1997). At right he adds: "Mary Mast was my great grandmother."
Framed in a new oak frame with glazing, made by Glick's son, a woodworker, who has a woodshop on the Glick farm property, Cut Road, Salisbury Twp.
Group of three fraktur (P97.22.1-.3) was commissioned and purchased from Glick by HCLC as a result of visiting him in his farmhouse Jan 1997 to discuss his penwork. (The two other fraktur, based on the Stoltzfus family record, were specifically purchased for use in the 1997 Exhibit on fraktur.)
Fraktur-style family record of Amish family (Henry and Annie Stoltzfus) done with ink and paint on heavy white paper, framed.
Executed by contemporary Amish scrivener, Old Order Amish Bishop John F. Glick (1912 - Aug 30, 2003), in the style of scrivener David C. Hoke, using the names from a FR by Hoke (see 96.1.1). Fraktur has a vine with blue berries forming a border. Heading at top is "Family Record," done in pink, red, black and gold and heading 1/3 of the way down is "Children," done in pink, mustard, gold and black. Three heads of wheat, tied together, flank each side of "Children" and are used under the names, next to the inscription.
Parents' birth dates are recorded, followed by ten children with birth dates. The father and the son, Levi, have a death date written under their birth date, mimicking a common practice of descendants who added this information years later.
At bottom center, under the wheat decoration, Glick inscribes his name and the date (1997). At right he adds: "David C. Hoke Pattern/ back in the 20's."
Framed in a new oak frame with glazing, made by Glick's son, a woodworker, who has a woodshop right there on the Glick farm property, Cut Road, Gap, PA.
Group of three fraktur (P97.22.1-.3) was commissioned and purchased from Glick by HCLC for use in the 1997 Exhibit on fraktur.
