Fraktur

Artist/Maker
Denke, Maria
Place Made
Friedberg North Carolina United States of America
Date Made
December 25, 1834
Medium
watercolor and ink on paper
Dimensions
6 ½” x 8”
Accession Number
5896
Description
Watercolor painting (fraktur) acknowledging the birth of Allen Andreas Spach; above the inscription is a watercolor spray of roses, tulips and other flowers and greenery; below is a blue bow tied around greenery. Between the two decorative elements is the following inscription: Allen Andreas/ Spach/ Geborn den 25ten Januar 1823/ Getauft den 21ten May 1823./Friedberg/Seine Elsten Sind/ Daniel Spach Senr/und/ Rebecca geborne Wesmer [?]/ No. 672 pag.58 in Kirchenbuch. In the bottom right hand corner is the inscription: Dec’b 25th 1834 von C.F. und M. Denke. The central inscription identified the birth and baptism dates of Allen Andreas Spach and his parents as well as the entry for his birth in the Friedberg Church Book.

Allen Andrew Spach was born in 1823 to Daniel Spach and Rebecca (Wesner) Spach and died July 9, 1905. He married Amanda Elizabeth Welfare in 1847. After the death of his first wife, he married Josephine E. Long.

The artist, Maria (also sometimes called Mary and Polly) Steiner Denke was born in Bethabara in 1792 and died in Salem in 1868. She began teaching at the Salem Girls’ Boarding School in 1811 and became the leader of the Single Sisters’ choir in 1820. She married the Reverend Christian Frederick Denke in 1828. At the time of their marriage, C.F. Denke was the pastor of the churches in Friedberg and Hope. The couple later moved to Salem in 1832.

The artists also made a Dreseden work sampler while a student at Salem Girls’ School (2732). She may also have painted the ca. 1852 watercolor of Salem (acc. # P-17).

Credit Line
Gift of John and Jane Gehring in memory of Dianne H. Furr