Catharina Hunsberger's Fraktur Picture (Bitt), (painting).

Catharina Hunsberger's Fraktur Picture (Bitt), (painting).

Unknown, painter.

Catharina Hunsberger's Fraktur Picture (Bitt), (painting).

The fraktur reads: "Dieses Schone Bitt welches mir verehret von meinem vetter Jacob Klemens, gehort mir Catharina Hunsbergern in Hittaun 1825." The translation reads: This beautiful picture which I received as a gift from my cousin Jacob Clemens, belongs to me Catharina Hunsberger in Hilltown 1825. The text is in an elongated heart with a blue, yellow, and red border. Also, there are tulips, flowers, leaves, two faces, and other designs. The colors are yellow, red, blue, green, pink, brown, black. There is a border with strips and dots. The paper is hand made.

Primitive -- Fractur

Homage -- Hunsberger, Catharina

Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania, Mennonite Heritage Center, 565 Yoder Road, P.O. Box 82, Harleysville, Pennsylvania 19438 Accession Number: 88-38-1

Gift of Althouse, Vernon & Blanche, Doylestown, Pennsylvania April 16, 1988.

The fraktur was made for Catharine Derstein Hunsberger (1813-1894), daughter of Bishop Henry Hunsberger (1768-1854) and Catharine Derstein (1782-1855) of Blooming Glen (Hilltown) Mennonite Congregation. She never married and lived with her parents. This piece was given to her by her cousin, Jacob Derstein Clemens (b. 1817) of Hilltown in 1825, just before he moved with his parents to Breslau (Waterloo) Ontario. Jacob was the son of Abraham Clemens (1790-1867) and Rachel Derstein Clemens (1791-1864) of Hilltown Township (and later of Breslau, Ontario). Jacob and Catharine were grandchildren of Abraham Derstein (1745-1817) and Catharine Sellers Derstein of Hilltown. This piece was passed down through the family until it was owned by Blanche H. Godshalk Althouse and her husband, Vernon Althouse, who gave it to the Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1988.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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