John Ritter
Birth and Baptismal Certificate

Birth and Baptismal Certificate

Public Domain

Birth and Baptismal Certificate
PrinterAmerican, 1779–1851
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Datec. 1850
PlaceReading, Pennsylvania, United States
MediumWood engraving with watercolor
DimensionsSheet: 16 × 13 1/16 in. (40.6 × 33.2 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Miss Ima Hogg
Object numberB.63.147
Non exposé

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionElaborate birth and baptismal certificates were important markers of these milestones in Pennsylvania German communities.  While earlier examples were drawn and written entirely by hand, by the late 1700s some began to incorporate preprinted text.  This example was made for a boy named Johannes David Schiltz, who was born on July 15, 1843 in Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  John Ritter printed this certificate in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Provenance[Hattie Klapp Brunner (1889–1982), Reinholds, Pennsylvania]; purchased by Miss Ima Hogg, 1963; given to MFAH.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Friedrich Krebs
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
1798
Ox gall ink, watercolor, and engraving on laid paper
B.97.13
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
John S. Wiestling
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
c. 1828
Letterpress and woodcut with red and brown inks, gouache and watercolor on laid paper
B.84.2
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
c. 1815
Letterpress, woodcut, brown ink, watercolor and gouache on laid paper
B.63.146
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Friedrich Krebs
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
c. 1790–1800
Ink, watercolor, and letterpress on laid paper
B.63.152
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Christian Ernst Beschler
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
c. 1815
Watercolor and ink on laid paper
B.2022.10
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
Engraver Artist
Birth and Baptismal Certificate
c. 1800–1810
Ink and watercolor on laid paper
B.60.43
Baptismal Certificate
Baptismal Certificate
c. 1820–1825
Ink and watercolor on laid paper
B.60.40
First Troubles of a Young Artist
Eugene Ritter von Stieler
First Troubles of a Young Artist
1884
Photogravure with engraving on wove paper
84.225.1
Birth Certificate
Birth Certificate
c. 1820–1830
Ink and watercolor on wove paper
B.60.42
Image provided by MFAH Conservation
Richard Ritter
YC-1287
1987
Glass
2012.610
Four Birds: Yellow Billed Magpie; Steller's Jay; Ultramarine Jay; Clark's Crow
John James Audubon
Four Birds: Yellow Billed Magpie; Steller's Jay; Ultramarine Jay; Clark's Crow
c. 1830–1848
Etching, aquatint and engraving with watercolor and gouache on wove paper
B.71.3
William Penn's Treaty with the Indians
John Hall
William Penn's Treaty with the Indians
1775
Engraving and etching with watercolor on laid paper
B.95.12