Birth and Baptism Certificate for Elisabeth Jager

Printer

Johann Ritter

Preview

Decorator

Francis D. Levan (died 1850)

Accession Number

PAG1998.226

Date Range

1841-1843

Description

Printed Taufschein with angels in blue and red colored dresses at sides, pair of birds on branch in bottom corners, cherub on cloud at top center.

Dimensions in Inches

15 1/2 x 12 5/8

Dimensions in Centimeters

39 x 32

Materials

Watercolor and ink on paper

Technique

Drawn, Hand lettered

Print Shop Location

Reading, Pennsylvania

Associated Places

Windsor Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Category

Birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts-und-Taufschein)

Motifs

birds, angels, branches, horns, clouds

Associated Names

Daniel Jager, Catharina Hoffman, Elisabeth, G.F.J. Jager, Samuel Hoffman, Hanna Hoffman

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

Wenn wir kaum geboren werden,/Ist, vom ersten Lebenstritt,/Bis zum kühlen Grab der Erden,/Nur ein kurzgemeß’ner Schritt./Ach! mit jedem Augenblick/Gehet uns’re Kraft zurück./Und wir sind mit jedem Jahre,/Allzureif zur Todtenbahre.

Und wer weiß, in welcher Stunde,/Uns die letzte Stimme weckt,/Denn Gott hat’s mit seinem Munde/Keinem Menschen noch entdeckt./Wer sein Haus nun wohl bestellt,/Geht mit Freuden aus der Welt;/Da die Sicherheit hingegen,/Ewig’s Sterben kann erregen.

Geburts und Taufschein/Diesen beyden Ehegatten, als:/Daniel Jäger und seiner ehelichen/Hausfrau Catharina geborne Hoffman/ist eine Tochter zur Welt geboren, den 11ten Tag/January im Jahr unsers Herrn, 1841 Diese/Tochter ist geboren in Windsor Taunschip/in Berks Caunty, im Staat Pennsylvanien/in Nord Amerika;/und erhielt durch die Heil. Taufe den Namen/Elisabeth den 4ten Tag Appril/im Jahr 1841 von dem Ehrw. Hrn. G.F.J.Jäger/Die Tauf=Zeugen waren: Samuel Hoffman/und seine Frau Hanna

Ich bin getauft, ich steh’ im Bunde,/Durch meine Tauf, mit meinem Gott!/So sprech’ ich stets mit frohem Munde,/In Kreuz, in Trübsal, Angst u. Noth,/Ich bin getauft, des freu’ ich mich,/Die Freude bleibt mir ewiglich.

Ich bin getauft, ob ich gleich sterbe,/Was schadet mir das kühle Grab?/Ich weiß mein Vaterland und Erbe,/Das ich bey Gott im Himmel hab’,/Nach meinem Tod ist mir bereit/Des Himmels Freud’ und Feyerkleid.

Ich bin gezählt zu deinem Saamen,/Gott Vater, Sohn und heiliger Geist!/Ich bin getauft in deinem Namen,/Zum Volk, das Dir geheiligt heißt./O! welch’ ein Glück ward dadurch mein!/Herr, laß mich deßen würdig seyn!

Reading, Pa./Gedruckt und zu haben bey John Ritter und Comp.

Translation

When we are just born…

Birth and Baptismal Certificate. To these spouses, Daniel Jäger and his legal wife Catharina born Hoffman is a daughter to the world born, the 11th day of January in the year of our Lord, 1841. This daughter was born in Windsor Township in Berks County, in the state of Pennsylvania in North America; and received through the Holy Baptism the name Elisabeth the 4th day of April in the year 1841 by the Reverend Mister G.F.J.Jäger. The baptismal sponsors were Samuel Hoffman and his wife Hanna.

I was baptized, I stand in the union…

I was baptized, if I die immediately…

I was counted among your seed…

Reading, Pa. Printed and for sale by John Ritter and Comp.

Comment

This piece was decorated by Francis Levan, although he did not complete the infill on it. Levan’s style is very flamboyant, as seen here in the colorful embellishment around the angels and putti at the top. Levan’s work is often described as among the zaniest, most colorful, and creative decorations of the artists who decorated the printed Taufscheine. Levan was also among the most prolific of all decorators, with about three quarters of his work done for Berks County families. Levan’s life is largely anonymous, except that his body was found in late 1850 along the road to Kutztown. The Adler book store in Reading noted after Levan’s unpaid dues in their account book, “Good fer Nichts.” Stopp, 4:215.

Condition

Good

Bibliographical Reference

Stopp #694

Published

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. 215.

File Format

.jpeg

Type

image