The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

                                               

Title:               Calligraphy                 

Dates:             ca.1740-1890 

Call No.:         Col. 320         

Acc. No.:        [various – see detailed description]

Quantity:        1 box

Location:        3 J 11

 

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

This is a miscellaneous and still growing collection of decorative hand lettering.  Included are Pennsylvania German works in the fraktur style.  Depictions are of stylized flowers, birds (including and eagle and a swan), and stars.  Among the documents is a handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, the Lord’s Prayer, hymns, a birth record, poems (including one written on paper cut into the shape of a heart and arrow), writing exercises, samples of legal forms, advertisements for teaching writing, a page of arithmetic exercises, and bookmarks.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

           

Arranged in accession number order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English and German.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

 

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchases and gifts from various sources.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Fraktur art.

            Bookmarks.

            Bookplates.

            Calligraphy.

            Illumination of books and manuscripts.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 3 J 11

 

 

61x19.19

Genealogy note.

 

Piece of paper on which is written “John Phelan Aged 11 years the 8 Day of April 1819.”  The handwriting is legible, but this is not a sample of fancy calligraphy. 

 

 

64x65             

Ein neues lied, ein neus lied, von der mord geschichte des Joseph Millers familien.

1822

 

A ballad, in German, about the murder of Joseph Miller's family which occurred in January 1822;  with fraktur decorations. Very ornate lettering with fancy initial letters and flower buds. 

            Joseph Miller murdered his wife and children and then committed suicide.  (Additional broadsides about this incident are held by Pennsylvania State University Special Collections Library.)

 

 

 

65x547 and 65x548 

Mennonite bookmarks

Ca.1800.

 

Mennonite bookmarks from Upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania German style.

 

One bookmark, from the Gayman family, bears an image, painted in green, deep red, and brown

watercolor, of two birds, stars, and branches. 

            One the back of this bookmark is the warning: “Bad men go in the way of sin.  Do no lie, my son, and do no ill.”  The names of John, Henry, Christian, and Betsy Gayman are also written on the back.

 

The other bears an image of a stylized flower, with a name across the bottom: Susana

Schmetzerin[?].

 

 

 

70x23.8          

Heath, Albert C.

Advertisement, circa 1875-1890.

 

Fancy lettered sign for Albert C. Heath, Architect and Builder, Haverhill, Mass.  The back was used for an alternate design, with the words Architect and Builder, Haverhill appearing in a different script and layout.

 

Note: Albert C. Heath was born around 1813, the son of Rebecca Dole and Dustin Heath.  In the 1850 and 1865 censuses, he was listed as a carpenter; in 1870 as a farmer; and in 1880 and on his death record in 1892 as an architect.  He married Matilda Carleton.

 

 

71x212.1-.2    

Phillips, C. G.

Spencerian business writing samples, 1878.

 

Two calligraphic birds, one with “Compliments of C.G.(?) Phillips written under it, the other with a

very faint signature of C.G. Phillips.  Both are drawn on identical printed ads for “Spencerian

Business Writing,” including offering to teach the system as well as to engross resolutions, diplomas, visiting cards, invitations, etc.  On the back of one of the ads is a note (in very pale ink) from Phillips offering to teach Spencerian writing, dated Chester, March 27, 1878.

 

             

 

72x205                       

Roberts, C. J.

Declaration of Independence

 

Copy of the Declaration of Independence made by C. J. Roberts for his parents, January 24, 1840, illustrated with an eight-pointed star made out of the names of the 13 colonies whose representatives adopted the Declaration.  In black ink, no color.

 

 

 

76x84

Pennsylvania German alphabet, circa 1800.

 

Printed Pennsylvania German alphabet, including capital and small letters, with punctuation marks and Arabic and Roman numerals. Paper watermarked with script T or F and B.

 

 

 

76x95.13 

Baxter, Stacy.

Writing school advertisement, circa 1850.

 

Manuscript advertisement of Stacy Baxter proposing to open a writing school, no location or date given.  Includes a list of names, perhaps of students, or perhaps just a sample of the writing style being taught.  At head of ad is a calligraphy feather.   A swan design in calligraphy and another feather adorn the back page. 

 

 

 

84x75.1 

Gridley, E. G.

Butterworth's Round Hand Copies, circa 1830.

 

Printed advertisement for Butterworth's Round Hand Copies, engraved by E. G.Gridley, done in fancy script with two heads; also a printed alphabet.  These items were cut from a larger work.  Gridley worked at 63 State Street in Boston.

 

 

84x75.2

Champion, Reuben.

 

The name Reuben Champion handwritten in ornate script, within a border, with a hand pointing to the name.  The name appears to have been cut from a larger piece of paper.

 

 

 

84x75.3          

Drawing of woman with wings.

 

Small card with pencil drawing of woman in skimpy costume with wings.

 

 

 

86x188.1        

Gebhard, F. G.

Vorschrift vor Michael Lang, 1790.

 

Vorschrift for Michael Lang, done by F. G. Gebhard, Lebanon Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1790.  The outside has the vorschrift statement; the inside includes a text about God, several different alphabets, Arabic numbers, and a four-pointed star, all within a simple border. Hand drawn and colored on both sides of paper; text in German. 

 

 

86x188.2        

Gebhard, F. G.

Samples vor Michael Lang, 1791.

 

Vorschrift by F. G. Gebhard, Lebanon Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1791.  A collection of sample legal forms (bond on one side; note and receipt on the other, with silly names) designed as a teaching aid.  Hand drawn and colored; the bond has a decorated initial letter, an eight pointed star at the bottom, and is enclosed within a simple border.  An English alphabet and the name Michael Long also appears.

 

 

 

87x163           

German text, circa 1800.

 

Small paper with three columns of religious text, in German.  Written in red ink, within a red border.  An initial (N?) is written four times on the back.  This may have been written by one student as a gift to a fellow student.  It is possibly from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

 

 

87x164                       

Bentzel, Catherine Margaret

Birth and baptismal record, 1838.

 

Birth and baptismal record with decorative border, written in English, noting that “Catehrine [sic] Margrat Bentzel was born …1838, July the 7th and was baptize [sic] by R. Jerremire Harbel.”  The border design includes trees, stars, a moon, and other decorations.

 

 

87x165           

Grimm, Elisabetha.

First lines of hymns, 1772.

 

 A list of the first lines of hymns, written for or by Elisabetha Grimm of Wessenburg in 1772.  In German; includes an alphabet.

 

 

 

87x166

Christman, Jacob.

Wer euch höret, de höret mich!, 1793

 

The text of this vorschrift from1793 is about preaching.  It also includes alphabets of large and small letters and Arabic numerals.  The name Jacob Christman appears.  All are within a decorative border.

 

 

 

 87x167          

Döwler, Johannes.

In dulci jubilo, 1798.

 

German text of hymn “In Dulci Jubilo,” signed by Johannes Döwler, 1798.  The numbers 1-50 are written between the hymn text and Döwler’s name.  On back: additional writing and a drawing of a head.

 

 

 

87x168           

Klee, Friedrich

Vorschrift for Amos Schuy, 1832.

 

Eine Vorschrift written by schoolmaster Friedrich Klee for Amos Schuy, March 25, 1832, in East Hanover Township, Lebanon County, [Pennsylvania].  Written in German in red ink, with a green border.

 

 

 

05x19

Lord’s Prayer, ca.1800-1830.

 

The Lord’s Prayer written in a minuscule hand within a circle, which is enclosed within a decorated square.  Although it has been suggested that this was a funerary remembrance, nothing about the item supports this.

 

 

12x126

Heart and arrow with poem,

circa 1800-1825

 

A heart-shaped item, with an arrow coming out of it, on which is written a poem or inscription in German.  The poem mentions Jesus Christ.  A partial transcription (but no translation) of the German is included.

 

 

12x153

Addition beispiele

Circa 1740?

 

A leaf from a cyphering book, with examples of problems in addition, kept by a German speaker.  It is unclear whether “1740” was a year or a figure in an exercise problem.  Calligraphy was used to write the page heading, part of which might be the student’s name.

 

 

 

 


Other calligraphy and writing items (not a comprehensive list):

 

Doc. 1066       Calligraphic exercise belonging to David Geissinger, dated April 18, 180-.  In German; English translation and other information about this document are filed with it.  (acc. 65x582)

 

Doc. 1543       Two pages of Fraktur in booklet.  Illustration of birds and tulips on bookplate of Magdelena Schantz, Pennsylvania, 1792.  Facing page script and numbers, on reverse is alphabet. (acc. 65x553)

 

Doc. 1544       writing exercise in English, possibly by Henry G. (acc. 75x158.36)

 

Doc. 1545       Writing sample; crudely done script. By Ruth Heald, 1812.  Paper is watermarked, with HGG (see photo in folder). (acc. 76x433)

 

Doc. 1546       The Lord's Prayer, written very small in the shape of the script letter R. Signed and dated across the bottom: “Respectfully dedicated to John A. Reed, Esq., 573 Broadway, N.Y.  Executed by David Davidson, 204 East Broadway, New York, 1863.”  The work was done on lacy embossed paper.  (acc. 81x148) 

 

Doc. 1547       Short poem entitled “Liberty” with a grape leaf border and eagle with shield (acc. 55.530) and  short poem entitled “Writing” with floral border (acc. 65x539.15), both done by Lewis C. Vaughan, Wilmington College,  October 14, 1811.