Object Number 1957.1220 A

Object Name

Fraktur (Birth and baptismal certificate)

Title

Birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts und Taufschein) of Maria Elisabeth Fisher

Category

Works on Paper

Credit Line/Donor

Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont

Creator (Role)

George Friederich Speyer (Scrivener and decorator)
References: Earnest, Papers for Birth Dayes, pp. 381-85. Speyer used printed certificates, they include Winterthur's fraktur 57.1220, which is attributed to the Ephrata Cloister printshop. His handwriting is difficult to read and, in at least one instance, another scrivener completed a certificate he decorated.

Ephrata Cloister printshop (Printer)
References: Stopp, The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans, vol. 2, pp. 98-217. The Ephrata printshop is credited with producing the first printed certificates in America. Its press printed forty editions by 1800. (Stopp, p. 98).

Place of Origin

Ephrata, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

Origin Notes

Primary creation place is location of printshop.

Secondary Place of Origin

Alsace Township, Berks, Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

Secondary Origin Notes

Secondary creation place is birthplace on certificate. Speyer worked in Berks, Dauphin, and Lancaster Counties.

Date

1787-1800

Materials

Ink; Watercolor; Paper (laid)

Techniques

Drawn, Hand colored, Hand lettered, Letterpress, Woodcut, Painted

Dimensions (inches)

13.1 (H) , 16.7 (W) , 12.8 (Image H) , 16.1 (Image W)

Dimensions (centimeters)

33.2 (H) , 42.4 (W) , 12.8 (Image H) , 16.1 (Image W)

Measurement Notes

H at left. W at bottom. Chain intervals: 2.6-2.7 cm; 9 laid lines per cm.

Watermark

Initials "CB" within heart

Coloring

Hand colored with watercolors

Edition Notes

Paper made by Christian Bauman (1755-1815), who appears to have worked at the Cloister paper mill since c. 1777, and later operated it on lease, 1790 until his death. Stopp suggests papers with the watermark of CB in a heart were used 1788-92 (See Stopp, vol. 2, p. 99).

Object Description

Text available soon.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Book] Stopp, Klaus. 1997 The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans. 2.
• Published under Stopp 243, p. 140.
[Book] Earnest, Russell D. & Earnest, Corinne P. 1997 Papers for Birth Dayes: Guide to the Fraktur Artists and Scriveners. 2 vols. 909.
• For more info. on Speyer, see pp. 722-725.