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The
American fraktur tradition began about 1740
in southeast Pennsylvania, but quickly spread
to other states, and remains popular even today.
For centuries, these cherished hand-written
and watercolor decorated paper manuscripts have
embodied a richness of tradition and culture,
blending text with riotous color and Pennsylvania
Dutch design. Having roots in medieval European
decorated manuscript art, fraktur celebrate
family events such as births, baptisms, and
marriages among some of America's earliest immigrants
of German and Swiss heritage. In Schiffer Collector
Books Fraktur: Folk Art and Family, 230+
photographs, many full page, present exquisite
examples of three centuries of American fraktur,
interwoven with insightful historical details,
information on the making of fraktur, and techniques
for preserving these delicate documents. The
colorful pages will delight and stimulate curiosity
among historians, scholars, and all who appreciate
art to explore the hidden treasures that lie
at the heart of these charming manuscripts.
Authors Corinne and Russell Earnest have each
authored numerous articles on genealogy and
fraktur and folk art. In 1997, the Earnests
co-authored the second edition of the two-volume
Papers for Birth Dayes: Guide to the Fraktur
Artists and Scriveners. They are members of
numerous genealogical and historical societies
having Pennsylvania German focus.
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