ENGELLHARD, GEORGE HEINRICH
(or Hennerich Engelhard) (dates unknown) was a fraktur artist and a communicant at the Lutheran Church in New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1805.He made several frakturs for families living along the Schwaben Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, including one for Johannes Braun in 1818. Engellhardmarried in the Tulpehocken region of the same state in 1818, and relocated near Bethel in Berks County, where he became the schoolmaster for the Salem Church. Heand his wife had six children.For many years the artist was identified as the “
Haus-Segen
Artist,” before a signed example of his work was published in 1973. One of the types of fraktur hemade was a house blessing, usually based on a text of biblical character. He also produced bookplates, baptismal certificates, and presentation drawings, as well as acurious drawing of a girl without a mouth. Probably the most remarkable piece by Engellhard to be found portrays a boy singing. The unusual text accompanying it,written in Italian and German, reads, “I sing in a beautiful way to the Lord.”
See also
Fraktur; German American Folk Art;
Pennsylvania German Folk Art.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hollander, Stacy C.
American Radiance.
New York, 2001