Fraktur is a form of hand writing and printing that began in the German speaking lands of medieval Europe. When the early german settlers came to southeastern Pennsylvania in about 1740, they continued the tradition of handwriting fraktur and established a folk art design that came to be known as Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art. These origional and very individual manuscripts blended fraktur writing and folk art into a decorated watercolored paper manuscripts that were created primarily for family records. However, many of these outstanding quality manuscripts became pieces of collectable art. These hand scribed manuscripts usually celebrated important family events, such as births, baptisms, marriage, and special events or other milestones in each families life.
In addition, there are books on learning to read and write fraktur, as well as the printed forms of fraktur.
Genealogical and historical societies, genealogist and historical researchers may find these books useful.

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Pennsylvania Folk Art and Fraktur Writing

• Fraktur: Folk Art and Family ~ Special order: Usually Ships Within 3 to 4 Weeks
-Conne P. Earnest, Russell D. Earnest / Hardcover / Published June 1999
A Schiffer Books For Collectors. The German and Swiss immigrants that settled in Pennsylvania brought with them their cherished hand written decorated paper manuscripts. They continued the tradition and the practice spread and continues even today. These hand written and decorated manuscripts with Fraktur lettering record family events such as births, baptisms, and marriages. Includes over 230 photgraphs.
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• Fraktur Writings and Folk Art Drawings of the Schwenkfelder Library Collection
  ~ Usually Ships Within 1 to 2 Business Days
-Dennis K. Moyer, Willard Wetzell / Hardcover 301 pages / Published November 1998
The Pennsyvania German Society produced this excellent book with some of the finest examples of Fraktur and folk art drawing. Originally this beautiful art was produced for religious and secular documents that was produced by pastors, schoolteachers, and childern in the German settlements of early America. This book looks at original examples produced in an area of southeastern Pennsylvania where a small religious denomination known as Schwenfelders settled in the 1730's northwest of Philadelphia.
This book presents an introduction to some their finest art and to the people who produced it. Including more than just the brightly colored tulips and birds, the Pennsylvania German folk art is familiar to most Americans. The term Fraktur, originally referred to the fancy, formal "broken lettering" of the hand scribed texts produced in the German areas of Europe and early Ameria. Eventually decorative motifs were placed as decorations around the Fraktur text and the whole document was called Fraktur, even when unaccompanied by little or no text. Birth, Baptismal Certificates, Weddings, and other family records were produced. This art form came to be known as Fraktur.
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• Chip Carving Pennsylvania Dutch Design
  ~ Usually Ships Within 2 to 3 Business Days
-Pam Gresham, Douglas Congdon-Martin / Paperback 64 pages / Published April 1995
This book presents and explores the wealth of design motifs developed by the German settlers of Pennsylvania. These designs are nearly perfect for chip carving. The flowing lines combine with geometrical forms to create facinationg and sometimes challenging forms for the chip carver. The author leads the reader step-by-step through the process of chip carving for the Wilkom Plaque, and the Bible Book. Includes a gallery of folk art.
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• Hex Signs: Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols and Their Meaning
  ~ Usually Ships Within 2 to 3 Business Days
-Don Yoder, Thomas E. Graves / Paperback 96 pages, 2nd Edition / Published January 2000
This book is the revised and expanded edition of the classic work on hex-sign barn decorations, offering insight into their various forms, geographical areas, European origins, their evolution in Pennsylvania, and their current use in tourism, advertising, and regional art. The authors explore the meaning of the symbols by examining evidence from popular writers, scholars, and contemporary hex-sign painters. Includes 99 full-color photographs that display the grandeur of this Pennsylvania Dutch phenomenon.
Also includes color illustrations, 37 black and white photographs, and 2 color maps (8 x 11).
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• More Than Hearts, Parrots, & Tulips
  ~ Usually Ships Within 3 to 4 Weeks
-Irwin Richman / Paperback 144 pages / Published January 2000
This book carefully examins the intertwining of the arts and artifacts of both the traditional and the evolving worlds. The Pennsylvania Germans are a remarkable people, and are some are among the most conservative of Americans. They have retained a strong cultural identity to this day, while other emmigrants have largely assimilated into the larger English world. Folk art and quilts are here, but so is the work of Precisionist painter Charles Demuth and Abstract Expressionist painter Franz Kline. Covers objects range from needlework, pottery, furniture, and glass to paper, paintings, and metals, including gold and silver. Here is a very personal and extensive historical text illustrated with the works of traditionalists, revivalists, and the avant garde displayed in over 350 color photographs. Pennsylvania German Arts has been written to be both informative and fun to read and is designed to showcase these distinctive works of great beauty.
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• If I Can-You Can Decipher Germanic Records ~ Usually Ships in 24 Hours
-Edna Bentz / Paperback 84 pages / Published June 1999
Explains how to decipher microfilms, book, and records that were written in Fraktur, the handwriting style and language of the 1800's. Includes Germanic, Latin, and Danish terminology. And a Glossary of Occupations of that period.
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German Church Books: Beyond the Basics ~Usually Ships Within 4-5 Weeks
-Kenneth L. Smith / Paperback 223 pages / Published January 1993.
This comprehensive and complete how-to guide explains how to get valuable genealogy data from this important source. Examples of original German 17th amd 18th century church book entries, with Fraktur handscripting. Includes dozens of illustrations, variant upper and lower case letters, plus appendices and indexes.
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• Pennsylvania German Fraktur and Printed Broadsides: A Guide to the Collections in the Library of Congress
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Weeks
-Jill Roberts (Editor) / Hardcover 48 Pages / Published January 1988
This book published by The Library of Congress is useful for finding and understanding what beautiful documents are available.
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• This Teaching I Present (Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, No. 41)
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-Mary Jane Lederach Hershey / Hardcover 256 Pages / Published November 2003
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• Authentic Pennsylvania Dutch Designs
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-Frances Lichten / Paperback 71 Pages / Published August 1976
This little book from Dover Publications, written in English, is loaded with Pennsylvania Dutch designs that can be used for many applications.
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• Pennsylvania Dutch Designs
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-Rebecca McKillip, Author / Paperback 48 Pages / Published October 1983<
This book is a part of the International Design Library published by Stemmer House Publishers.
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• Pennsylvania Dutch Cut & Use Stencils
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-JoAnne C. Day (Author) / Paperback 64 Pages / Published June 1975 This book was published by Dover Publications.
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• German American Family Records in the Fraktur Tradition
  ~ Available From Used Book Dealers.
-Corinne P. Earnest, Beverly R. Hoch / Paperback Vol. 002/ Published June 1993
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• Ontario Fraktur ~Usually Ships Within 3-5 Weeks
-Michael S. Bird / Hardcover 144 pages / Published November 1991
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• The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-Monroe Fabian (Author) / Hardcover 248 Pages / Published May 2004
In the field of art and antiques, few books survive the test of time to become regarded as "classics." Monroe Fabian's 1978 edition of The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest is such a work. With more than two hundred fifty illustrations, this book is a visual feast of decorated chests. Now, more than twenty-five years later, this book still stands as the only significant work to be published on the subject of the Pennsylvania German decorated chest. It is the preeminent encyclopedia of Pennsylvania German blanket chests. Collectors, scholars and curators rely upon its images to identify the accepted standard of decorated chests. Fabian's thoroughness in identifying so many different chests means that readers have a suitable beginning point for comparing examples that they own or may come to view. With this edition, new color photography has been obtained or as many of the original chests as could be identified. Also where recent scholarship has produced new information, attributions and other information has been corrected. With a new foreword and updated photography, including an expanded color section and several new examples, this volume will be of interest to collectors, scholars, and all those who have a love of the richly decorated chests made by the Pennsylvania Germans. Includes 250 color and black & white photos.
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• Making Authentic Pennsylvania Dutch Furniture: With Measured Drawings
  ~Usually Ships Within 2-3 Days
-John G. Shea (Author / Paperback 240 Pages / Published October 1992
This richly illustrated guide to Pennsylvania Dutch culture and craftsmanship, includes measured drawings for building 50 representative pieces: chairs, tables, desks, many more. Includes 250 illustrations, and a Bibliography.
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Additional Book and Magazine Links

Fraktur Fonts

Fraktur Fonts
Click on this link to understand and how to use the Fraktur script, WalbaumFrakturEF, in printing and hand scripting.

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This page was last reviewed and updated July 10, 2015.