Title

Birth and Baptism Certificate for Elisabeth Baumgardner

Printer

Johann Valentin Schuller (1759-circa 1817)

Preview

Scrivener

Johann Valentin Schuller Jr. (1759-circa 1817)

Decorator

Johann Valentin Schuller Jr. (1759-circa 1817)

Accession Number

PAG1998.173

Creation Date

1811

Description

Printed Taufscheine with urns and flowers at sides, decorated in bright red, yellow, and green.

Dimensions in Inches

7 1/2 x 12 1/2

Dimensions in Centimeters

19 x 32

Materials

Watercolor and ink on laid paper

Technique

Drawn, Hand lettered

Print Shop Location

Reading, Pennsylvania

Associated Places

East Hanover Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

Category

Birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts-und-Taufschein)

Motifs

flowers, urns, tulips

Associated Names

Michael Baumgardner, Catharina Scherg, Elisabeth

Rights

Please contact the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College for permissions which fall outside of educational fair use.

Source

Ursinus College Library Special Collections and the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art

Provenance

Pennsylvania Folklife Society

Script/Text

Fraktur lettering, German script

Language

German

Transcription

Diesen beyden Ehegatten,/als Michael Baumgärdner und seiner eheli=/chen Hausfrau Catharina eine gebohrne/Scherg ist eine Tochter zur Welt/gebohren, Namens Elisabeth baumgärdner/im Jahr unsers HErrn 1812/den 17 Tag/May um __uhr __ im Zei=/chen dem Löwe Getauft vom Pfarrer / den Tag Tauf=/Zeugen war /Gebohren in osthannower/Taunschip, Libanon Caunty, in A=/merica, in dem Staate Pennsylvanien

Gar anders muß mein Name prangen, vor Gott, der nur die Sei-/nen kennt, Er hat mich in der Tauf umpfangen, recht väterlich sein/Kind genennt; in seiner Hand schreibt er mich an, nichts ist das/mich auslöschen kann.

Verfertigt von Johann Valentin Schuller.

Translation

To both of these spouses, Michael Baumgärdner and his legal wife Catharina a born Scherg is a daughter to the world born, named Elisabeth Baumgärdner in the year of our Lord 1812 the 17th day of May o’clock in the sign of the Lion [Leo]. Baptized by Pastor the day . Baptismal sponsors were . Born in East Hanover Township, Lebanon County, in America, in the state of Pennsylvania.

Quite otherwise would my name be prominently displayed [pilloried], [but] before God who only knows His Own, he has received me in Baptism, right fatherly named [me] his child; in his hand he writes me down, nothing is that can extinguish me.

Prepared by Johann Valentin Schuller.

Comment

Johann Valentin Schuller Jr. was a scrivener and artist who decorated primarily printed Taufscheine, typically in this half-size, horizontal style. Numerous versions with the urn-and-floral designs at the sides from his hand exist, with the outline either stenciled or stamped on. This Taufschein may have been for a Mennonite family, as the lines for baptism information were neatly crossed out. Schuller sometimes added tulips or birds on vines from the colorful urns, but this flower design was among his most typical and was copied by other artists such as Friedrich Küster.

Condition

Good

Published

Minardi, Lisa. Roots: Ursinus College and the Pennsylvania Germans (Trappe, Pa.: Historic Trappe, 2019). p. 83, fig. 3.57. Stopp, Klaus. The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans. 6 vols. (Mainz, Germany, and East Berlin, Pa.: privately published, 1997–99). vol. 4, p. 76. Shoemaker, Alfred L. Check List of Pennsylvania Dutch Printed Taufscheins. (Lancaster, Pa.: Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center, 1952). pg. 48.

File Format

.jpeg

Type

image