| The Colonial schoolmaster, Christopher
Dock, introduced to the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite community a naïve
or folk art form known as Fraktur. Dock taught at the meetinghouse schools
at Skippack and Salford during the 18th century.
The creation of Fraktur
played a significant role in the educational process. A writing example,
called a Vorschrift, was used to teach the students to write the alphabet
and numbers, and to read hymns and scriptures.
The schoolmaster also
drew colorful birds and exquisite flowers on small slips of paper, which
he gave to industrious children. He lettered bookplates for handmade hymn-tune
notebooks. Later, in the 19th century, schoolmasters de-signed
delicate bookplates for printed hymnals, Testaments and other devotional
books.
Fraktur flourished in
this community during the years from approximately 1750 to 1840. These
vibrant treasures were cherished by the children, safeguarded in family
Bibles, and passed from one generation to the next.
These colorful illuminated
drawings are found in the Fraktur Room along with a depiction of a one-room
schoolhouse. |
