Tagged Pennsylvania German Collection
Announcing Framing Fraktur!
The Free Library of Philadelphia is proud to present Framing Fraktur , a three-month celebration of historic Pennsylvania German folk art and its relationship to contemporary art, opening today and running through June 14, 2015! In…
John Derstine Souder’s Fraktur in the Henry Stauffer Borneman Pennsylvania German Collection
John Derstine Souder (1865-1942) was raised on a Mennonite farm near Telford in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was a storekeeper, postmaster, and poultry dealer before retiring. Souder spent the final five years of his…
I Must Do What Is Right For Me ~ The Jacob Eichholtz Book of Sketches and Painterly Advice
“I must do what is right for me,” he muttered under his breath while gathering up his tools and shuttering the shop window. Jacob Eichholtz was living a double life, and it soon had to stop. He couldn’t…
MAGICAL CHARMS ~ MEDICAL CURES
I was only a little girl when my Grammy had me kneel before her in their little church. She anointed my forehead with oil, and laid her hands on me. I was sick, but I can’t remember what for. She prayed…
The Skies Proclaim the Work of His Hands ~ Carl Friederich Egelmann (1782-1860)
If you have a moment, I’d like to introduce you to Carl Friederich Egelmann, or Charles Frederick Egelmann as he came to be known in America. He was born in Neuenkirchen, Germany on May 12, 1782 and was only 20 when he…
It’s the Little Things in Life That Matter ~ The Jacob Anthony Grist Mill Ledger, 1842-1868
Sometimes it really is the little things in life that matter. This I learned recently while trying to identify the record keeper of Borneman Ms 152 from the Henry Stauffer Borneman Pennsylvania German Collection at the Free…
What to Say While Fastening the Garland to the Gable
The Borneman Pennsylvania German Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia is very fortunate to have a very small manuscript, Borneman Ms. 99, about 4" x 3 " in size, entitled Zimmerspruch beÿm Aufstecken des…
The Easter Bunny is Pennsylvania Dutch
Many of the traditions we associate with Easter can be traced back to celebrations that honored Ostara, or Eastre (Old English), an ancient pagan Germanic goddess of spring. Associated with the radiant dawn and the…
Rejoice My Heart for a New Year Begins
Had Daniel Schumacher (1729-1787) been an ordinary man, we probably would never have heard of him. His bad habits of drinking, swearing, lying, and dancing, amongst others, were not uncommon among the men of his day. …
If I’m Happy, Then I Must Sing, Part One
Three Moravian Manuscripts in the Pennsylvania German Collection at FLP The Pennsylvania German Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia contains a wealth of valuable research materials available to scholars and the general…
If I’m Happy, Then I Must Sing, Part Two
Theodor Schulz (1770-1850) Theodor Schulz (1770-1850) was born December 17, 1770 in Gerdauen, East Prussia, one of the towns founded by the Teutonic Knights in the Middle Ages, and rich in history from that period. At fifteen he…
If I’m Happy, Then I Must Sing, Part Three
Charlotte Sabine Schropp (1787-1833) Charlotte Sabine Schropp (1787-1833) was the second daughter of Johannes Schropp (1750-1805), and Maria Elisabeth (1753-1801) née Tannenberg, and was born November 23, 1787, in Nazareth,…
If I’m Happy, Then I Must Sing, Part Four
Sarah Horsfield (1785-1867) Sarah Horsfield (1785-1867), was the oldest daughter of Joseph Horsfield (1750-1834) and Elizabeth (1754-1836) née Benezet, and was born December 17, 1785. She had two younger sisters. Her…
Gertrude Rapp, Expert in Silk and Song
In their search for freedom of conscience and worship, as well as for the promise of economic self-sufficiency and inexpensive land, many German-speaking Christian sectarian groups emigrated to Pennsylvania from the late 17 th…
A Collection of Musick Adapted for the Harpsichord ex Libris Michael Hillegas
My name is Michael Hillegas, and if you know me, it’s most likely because I served as the first Treasurer of the United States from 1777-1789. I have always, as you may have surmised, had close ties to Philadelphia. After…
Beware! Lions, Tigers and Bears in the Rare Book Department
Beware! Lions, tigers and bears have been found in the Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Before making this discovery several weeks ago I wouldn’t have believed it either, but there really are…
If I Were an 18th Century Manuscript
If I were an 18 th century manuscript, and had a broken spine, and detached boards, not to mention all kinds of other injuries to my pages, I think I would contact the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) for a…
The Borneman Pennsylvania German Manuscript Collection Soon Available Online
This is the first of many blog posts about The Borneman Pennsylvania German Manuscript Collection, which has been part of the Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) since 1955. Thanks to a 2011 grant from…