Quill and Graver Bound: Frakturschrift Calligraphy, Devotional Manuscripts, and Penmanship Instruction in German Pennsylvania, 1755–1855

Quill and Graver Bound Frakturschrift Calligraphy, Devotional Manuscripts, and Penmanship Instruction in German Pennsylvania, 1755–1855

Why did German-speaking settlers of southeastern Pennsylvania create ornately written and illuminated religious manuscripts? Using one manuscript form—the Vorschrift, or handwriting sample—this article explores the connections that Pennsylvania’s German speakers forged between reading, handwriting,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Winterthur portfolio Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 1 - 83
Main Author: Ames, Alexander Lawrence
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: The University of Chicago Press 01-03-2016
University of Chicago Press
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Why did German-speaking settlers of southeastern Pennsylvania create ornately written and illuminated religious manuscripts? Using one manuscript form—the Vorschrift, or handwriting sample—this article explores the connections that Pennsylvania’s German speakers forged between reading, handwriting, and spiritualism. A statistical analysis of Vorschrift design and text content demonstrates the manuscripts’ most important purpose: teaching youth how to learn God’s will and live piously. The Vorschrift embodies spiritual literacy education that set students on a course toward faith. The article recasts Pennsylvania German manuscript-making as an authorial process, presenting research that places manuscripts’ design and function in transatlantic context.
ISSN:0084-0416
1545-6927
DOI:10.1086/687271