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VOL. 46, NO. 6 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2015
“A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans And The Art Of Everyday Life” Upcoming Winterthur Exhibition To Shed New Light On Fraktur And More he Winterthur Museum, exhibition are drawn from last year enables us to serve as one This tall clock (left) was made for Garden and Library has Winterthur’s permanent collection, of the leading institutions in the Benjamin and Eva Catharina announced the Sunday, which now includes the fraktur and country for the study of Hammer, case by Johannes Paul March 1, opening of a major new textile collection of the late Pastor Pennsylvania German decorative Jr., Lykens Township, Dauphin exhibition titled “A Colorful Frederick S. Weiser, a legendary arts.” County, Pa., 1815. Image courtesy and collector of Savage also noted that more Folk: Pennsylvania Germans and scholar Winterthur Museum, bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1958.2874. the Art of Everyday Life.” This Pennsylvania German folk art. than a dozen private collectors and will be a groundbreaking explo- Winterthur’s landmark acquisition institutions loaned important works ration of Pennsylvania German from the estate of Pastor Weiser of art for the exhibition. Highlights of the fraktur and folk art that will shed exhibition new light on an exquisinclude rare ite artistic tradition and important and peer inside the fraktur, such as daily life of this distincelaborate birth tive culture. It will be and baptismal open through Sunday, certificates made Jan. 3, 2016. primarily by Visitors may members of the explore tales of German Lutheran romance, birth, death, and Reformed and life in early faiths as well as Pennsylvania an extraordinary poignantly captured in religious text more than 125 objects, made by Mennonite many never before exhibitThis chest was made for Johannes schoolmaster Andreas ed or published. Decorated Miller, painted decoration attributed to manuscripts (“fraktur”), textiles, Henrich Otto, Millbach area, Lebanon Kolb, widely regarded by furniture, metalwork, and pottery County, Pa., 1783. Courtesy of a private col- scholars and collectors as one of the greatest embellished with hearts, flowers, lection; photo courtesy of Gavin Ashworth. Pennsylvania German birds, and other traditional *One of the largest fraktur fraktur ever made. A painted motifs reveal the known to exist, a double-sheet chest decorated in 1783 by Pennsylvania Germans’ spiritual clockworks by fraktur artist Henrich Otto with love of color, design, and Friedrich Krebs measuring nearly floral motifs and a pair of whimsy. Most objects are 16-by-25-inches. camels will provide a treat for functional, but others were *Fraktur, furniture, and redchildren and adults. Various made “just for nice” and ware plates embellished with examples of needlework, quilted attest to a penchant for decoAmerican eagles and other patriobjects, and clothing, including rating virtually everything, otic motifs. an embroidered wedding handfrom a tiny pincushion to the *The only known fraktur kerchief and apron from side of a barn. The tools and made for a Delawarean, Samuel Lancaster County, Pa., are among techniques used by fraktur McNulty, who married into a the rarer items that will be on artists also will be explored Pennsylvania German family. display. in addition to issues of *Garden-related objects “The objects included in the authenticity, forgery, and including a John Boyer seed exhibition open a window to the revivals. chest, a labeled Joseph Lehn safpast through which we can all “Winterthur is delighted fron cup, a redware flowerpot observe clues about not only the to present this extraordinary made for Sarah Bixler, and day-to-day life of one of the exhibition celebrating the numerous colorful cloth bags region’s largest and most influcreative artistry of ential settler groups, but also certificate made by Johann Adam used for saving garden seeds Pennsylvania Germans, one of its most artistically pro- Eyer, Kolb’s protégé, with the lat- from year to year. whose elaborate handiwork *A privy bag, used to store lific,” said the exhibition’s cura- ter showing motifs copied from the so uniquely captured the tor, Lisa Minardi, Winterthur religious text and additional patri- scrap paper in an outhouse, from ideals and events of the York County, Pa. day,” said J. Thomas The schrank is attributed to Berks County, assistant curator. Minardi is a spe- otic imagery. *An extraordinary pair of *A large carved and painted Savage, director of museum Pa., circa 1790. Courtesy of Winterthur cialist in Pennsylvania German art eagle by itinerant artist Wilhelm flintlock pistols with silver affairs for Winterthur. Museum, gift of Burton and Helaine and culture. Additional examples of the Schimmel, who worked in mounts made about 1810 to 1820 “Most objects in the Fendelman 2009.44. by celebrated gunsmith Jacob most rare and important objects Cumberland County, Pa. Kuntz of Philadelphia. highlighted in the exhi*A newly discovbition include the ered portrait of a young following: woman from * More than four Philadelphia painted by dozen examples of John Lewis Krimmel, fraktur by noted one of America’s first Pennsylvania German genre scene painters. artists including *A pair of wroughtJohannes Bard, Johann iron weathervanes Adam Eyer, Conrad made in 1743 and decGilbert, Daniel Otto, orated with tulips, Andreas Kolb, Friedrich loaned by Augustus Krebs, Daniel Lutheran Church in Schumacher, the SusselTrappe, Montgomery Washington Artist, County, Pa. Conrad Trevits, and *A Dauphin County, Henrich Weiss. Pa., tall-case clock inlaid *A dynamic display with motifs from the of the religious text Pennsylvania coat of made by Mennonite arms and made in 1815 schoolmaster Andreas by John Paul Jr., who Kolb, one of the most later designed the celebrated fraktur in Horseshoe This important religious text by Andreas Kolb, Montgomery County, Pa., America due to its syn- This dish made for Susanna Steltz is attributed to George famous on the circa 1785, will be on view. Courtesy of Winterthur Museum, purchased thesis of design and text, Hubener, Montgomery County, Pa., 1789. Courtesy Curve with funds provided by the Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle. shown side-by-side and Winterthur Museum, bequest of Henry Francis du Pont Pennsylvania Railroad. Courtesy Winterthur Museum, 2013.31.71. compared with a 1965.2301. (Continued on page 3)
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