Some of you might be lucky enough to have Pennsylvania German birth and baptismal certificates that were done for family members well over 100 years ago. Or you just might be intrigued by the art and design of these unique folk art documents and perhaps collect them. I have written
An exciting trove of art by late Yorker Ralph Eck (1930-2015) has recently been discovered. The paintings are on display at Millersville University’s Eckert Art Gallery, but only until May 11, so you will have to act quickly to see the exhibit. The gallery, in the Winter Art Center at
Eliza E. Ridgely was a beautiful young woman born into a prosperous Baltimore family. The Marquis de Lafayette was said to be charmed by her during his 1824 visit to Baltimore, and she played her harp for him when he was a dinner guest of her parents. Eliza’s letters at
The York County History Center has entered into an exciting new partnership with the Google Cultural Institute. The first project was the digitalization of Lewis Miller’s own annotated and illustrated copy of Henry Lee Fisher’s ‘S Alt Marki-Hous Mittes In D’r Schtadt (The Old Market House in the Middle of
You can enjoy a Victorian Christmas at the Bonham House, 152 East Market Street, York from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 2. The free family event, presented by the York County History Center as part of Light Up York, offers costumed house tours, crafts, games, live music,
Prints of this illustrated map of York County were issued in 1932 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of York City Laundry and Dry Cleaners. It shows townships and some, but not all, of the present-day boroughs located in the county, as well as a close-up of downtown York. Curiously, the
My recent York Sunday News column was on the leading 20th century poet, Lee Anderson, a resident of southern York County. In addition, I also shared some of Anderson’s poetry in my last post. Here is a look at how he really supported himself: Anderson was very candid in that very, very
My last blog post noted that the book featuring York folk artist Lewis Miller’s drawings of “Hessians” that settled in York County after the Revolutionary War is once again available at the York County History Center, long after it was thought out of print. The book features 22 full page portraits, each
You might be familiar with two books featuring drawings of Lewis Miller published by The Historical Society of York County/York County Heritage Trust/York County History Center over the years. Lewis Miller, Sketches and Chronicles: The Reflections of a Nineteenth Century Pennsylvania German Folk Artist (1966) is out of print; Lewis
Thanks to everyone who responded so far to my column and blog posts on York artist and teacher Margaret Sarah Lewis. I would like to know about as many examples of her art work so that I can print them out and add them to her file at the York