(Broadside)

Certificate of Birth and Baptism [Geburts- und Tauf-Schein]. Den Ehegatten Andreas Gildner und seiner Frau Christina . . .

Allentown: Blumer, Busch, und Co., da. 1849. Item #509

Manuscript birth certificate 430 x 340 mm., (17 x 13 1/4 inches). Text printed in German and infilled in legible hand. Great example of the “Empire Style Double Angel” printed form with woodcut images of two figures of angels set on either side of the main text facing out, enclosed in an intricate typographical border. At the top of the sheet is an image of the American Eagle with a ribbon in its beak which reads in German “God’s peace be with you keep you.” At the bottom of the sheet are two sets of two birds enclosing the poem celebrating the birth of a daughter. The entire broadside is set with a typographical border. There is a three-inch tear at the top of the sheet that cuts through the left wind of the Eagle with some loss; some early paper repair with tape, minor foxing.

Second issue of this reverse “Double Angel” Fraktur, with only a minor change to the typographical border that encloses the image and text. The Empire Style design was established in the 1830’s and differs from early Angel forms in the angular nature of the images, and the style of hair and costumes which was a move away from the earlier styles of flowing gowns and more robust figures.

The edition is undated but given the imprint it is thought to have been printed after 1849. What is distinctive about this design is the positioning of the two angels. In this design they are facing out toward the border rather than inward to towards the text. This was a motif designed by an unnamed partner, Edmund Leisenring who was to take over the printing business in the early 1860’s.

The scrivener of this certificate is thought to be Jacob Bogh but more likely was Peter C. Otto. Both their hands are well practiced and exhibit beautiful letter forms. The distinctive color pattern of the form, with this blue dot pattern could be the work of any number of decorators who worked in Allentown and Reading during the period. It is unusual to find the use of blue ink as pink and yellow seem to have been the colors most often used to decorate the form.

Stopp, The Printed BBC’s, I, No. 83.1 and p. 150. Yoder, The Pennsylvania German Broadside, p. 287. Earnest, Papers for Birth Dayes, I, p. 110 and II, p. 601.

Price: $600.00