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Title: Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association of North America [certificate]
Description: Life membership certificate containing a vignette contrasting scenes of apocalyptic doom and religious salvation. Shows to the right an angel trumpeting salvation and wielding the Bible; a white man missionary preaching to a large group of Native Americans; and a converted African family of a man, woman, and child, kneels and reaches toward the winged messenger of God. On the ground are broken chains and swords, and a hut and palm trees are in the background. Opposite the scenes of salvation, a cross rises from the ground, bringing forth a river of redemption too late for the lost souls of a bejeweled "heathen" woman and a skull-headed man entangled by serpents. Behind them a temple, probably the Vatican, collapses to the ground. The Evangelical Association, a Methodist ministry, worked first to convert Native Americans and enslaved people before extending their missions to the Black inhabitants of Liberia in the 1820s., Issued to Peter H. Cage of Catasauqua, Pa. on February 24, 1870. Signed by Thomas Bowman, Secretary; Francis Hoffman, President; and Isaac Hess, Treasurer., Gift of David Doret, 2004., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Creator: Sartain, John, 1808-1897, engraver
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Philadelphia certificates - Organizations - M [P.2004.46.1]

Title: [Marriage certificate]
Description: Contains a border comprised of gothic architectural elements, floral motifs, and two vignettes. First vignette shows the reverend blessing the formally attired couple. The bride wears an off-the-shoulder wedding dress and veil and the groom wears a tuxedo. Second vignette shows the married couple exiting the church, hand in hand, followed by three wedding guests., Title supplied by cataloguer., Not in Wainwright., Issued to Henry W. Shouse of Hauley Wayne Co. Pa. and Ann Eliza Nekerris of District of Spring Garden County Philada. on October 16, 1851. Signed by Edmund Neville, Rector of Christ Church, New Orleans., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 145
Creator: Schussele, Christian, 1826?-1879, artist
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare 14349.Q [Roughwood]

Title: William Wirt Library and Literary Institute of Philadelphia [certificate]
Description: Membership certificate containing an image depicting a bust of author, statesman, and ninth attorney general of the United States, William Wirt, on a pedestal inscribed with the text "William Wirt Library and Literary Institute, founded March 18th, 1834." Books with "United States," "Rome," and "Greece," written on the spines rest in front of an allegorical female figure that sits next to the monument. On the left, an eagle perched on an olive branch grasps a banner with a Greek phrase written on it. A charter, laurel wreath, and several books written by Wirt, including "Old Bachelor," "Life of P. Henry," "Spy" and "Speeches," lie on the ground in front of the eagle. In the background stands a decrepit pediment from an old Grecian building. The William Wirt Library and Literary Institute, a social and intellectual club, formed one month after Wirt's death in 1843., Not in Wainwright., Issued to J.J. Richards, signed by D. Perry Leidy, Secretary, W.W. Richards, President, and Clayton Haines, Vice President., Stamped wax seal with ribbon on recto., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 278, Gift of David Doret., LCP AR [Annual Report] 2000 p. 66., Matthias S. Weaver, artist and lithographer for Thomas Sinclair, was an active member of the William Wirt Library and Literary Institute in the mid-1840s and wrote in his diary about his work on the Wirt Institute certificate beginning on April 6, 1842. One hundred copies of the lithograph were printed by Sinclair's shop in February of 1843.
Creator: Weaver, Matthias S., 1815 or 16-1847, artist
Date: [ca. 1843]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Philadelphia certificates - Libraries [P.9772]

Title: Confirmation Schein
Description: Confirmation certificate containing a scene of a confirmation ceremony. Shows a minister resting his hands on the heads of two of several boys kneeling and praying at the altar of the church. Parishioners watch the service from the church pews and balconies. Altar contains an ornate archway, columns, and chandelier., Issued to Daniel Witman on November 4, 1843. Signed by Andrew G. Deininger V.D.M., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 41
Date: [ca. 1840]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *BW - Religion [P.9406.]

Title: Certificate of marriage
Description: Marriage certificate illustrated with vignettes within an ornamental border. Depicts vignettes representing peace and love including doves near an altar with an eternal flame, and cherubs floating on clouds, reaping grain, and rowing a gondola., Issued to John A. Jones and Mary Anne Dickerson. Signed by Rev. William Douglass, officiant, and by Samuel Van Brackle and George W. Hopewell, witnesses., Copyright secured., Title from item., Date based on date of the event represented., Purchase 1993., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Croome, Meignelle & Co. was a Philadelphia engraving firm operated by engraver, William Croome, and banknote engraver, James Meignelle in the 1840s.
Creator: Croome, Meignelle & Co., engraver
Date: [ca. 1846]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *albums (flat) [P.9427] - Dickerson Family Collection - Miscellaneous

Title: [Marriage certificate]
Description: Contains a border comprised of gothic architectural elements, floral motifs, and two vignettes. First vignette shows the reverend blessing the formally attired couple. The bride wears an off-the-shoulder wedding dress and veil and the groom wears a tuxedo. Second vignette shows the married couple exiting the church, hand in hand, followed by three wedding guests., Title supplied by cataloguer., Not in Wainwright., Issued December 20, 1855 to William Morrison and Elizabeth Alice Hill. Signed by Samuel Dubborow, Rector of the New Church of the Evangelists. Franklin Smith, witness., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 142, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Ba 614 D 956
Creator: Schussele, Christian, 1826?-1879, artist
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Ba 614 D 956

Title: Diploma of the Montgomery County Agricultural Society of the state of Pennsylvania [certificate]
Description: Diploma containing an ornate architectural border with graphic elements related to agriculture surmounted by a vignette of two horses near a stream. Foliage, filigree, wheatsheafs, scythes and rakes, adorn the border and flank the society's seal at the bottom. Two rural scenes flank the upper image of horses, including a view of two men loading hay onto a horse-drawn wagon (left), and a country homestead (right)., Not in Wainwright., Awarded to Christian Meeh for his display of cakes, etc. at their annual exhibition held October 6th & 7th. Signed J. Henry Owen, Rec'd Secretary, and G. Blight Browne, President in Springtown on Oct. 7th 1852., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 55, Gift of David Doret.
Creator: Dreser, William, b. ca. 1820, artist
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Philadelphia certificates - Agriculture [P.9909]

Title: Grand United Order Odd Fellows America [membership certificate]
Description: Membership certificate for the African American fraternal organization containing an allegorical view that includes Odd Fellow iconography. Shows the female figures of Justice and Truth standing on globes and flanking a framed view of an ark at sea. Justice holds a sword and scale and Truth holds a torch, serpent, and a mirror from which a light shines. Visible within and bordering the view are Odd Fellow symbols, including the sickle and hourglass, dove, skull and crossbones, the lamb, heart-in-hand, and the lion. Above the view the female figure Charity sits and holds children in her lap below the all Seeing Eye in the night sky under a rainbow marked "G.U.O. of O.F." The G.U.O.O.F was established in 1843 with a charter from the Grand Lodge in Manchester, England., Not in Wainwright., Copyrighted by D. B. Bowser, probably the artist., Issued to David B. Bowser, Unity Lodge, No. 711, G.U. O. of O.F. on July 10, 1844. Signed James Needham, N[oble] F[ather], James McCrummill, N[oble] G[rand] and Joshua Campbell, P. S[ecretary]., Philadelphia on Stone, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Certificates - Odd Fellows, Bowser, was a prominent African American ornamental artist and social activist, who specialized in signs, banners, and paraphernalia in addition to portraiture. Major commissions included volunteer firefighter apparel and equipment, Civil War pictorial banners, and Grand United Order of Odd Fellows regalia.
Date: c1843
Location: Historical Society of Pennsylvania | Print Department | HSP at LCP HSP Certificates - Odd Fellows

Title: Washington and Lafayette Benefical Society Incorporated April 12th 1825
Description: Membership certificate containing a scene showing the December 31, 1777 meeting between Marquis De Lafayette and General Washington during the American Revolution. On the banks of the Delaware River, under the watch of guards, Washington attended by his officers extends his hand to the young Franch Major General who is accompanied by his two officers. The men stand in front of a row of tents beside which a band of uniformed militia stand near an armed frontiersman and Native American witnessing the event. In the background, militia troops drill and ships sail on the Delaware. Also contains a vignette showing a society member in his sick bed attended by his wife and fellow members. The seated men talk and sit at a table playing cards as the ailing man's son, holds a hoop, and cries at the foot of the bed. Vignette bordered by two posted schedules of the month, day, and hour of "Stated Meetings" for the year that is also printed with the notice that "The Roll shall be called precisely 30 Minutes after the time above specified. Also includes the American eagle holding a shield marked with the incorporation date of the society., Not in Wainwright., Philadelphia on Stone, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bc 983 Q 3
Creator: Queen, James Fuller, 1820 or 21-1886, artist
Date: [ca. 1845]
Location: Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Bc 983 Q 3

Title: Order of the United Daughters of America [membership certificate] Honesty, virtue & industry
Description: Membership certificate for the patriotic nativist women's society established in New York in 1845 as an auxilliary to the Order of United Americans. Contains a vignette portrait of Martha Washington flanked by the allegorical figures of Liberty and Justice perched in a cluster of clouds. Below on each side, columns entwined with the American flag and adorned with the American eagle and shield rest on pedestals decorated with horns of cornucopia. Between the columns, a "United Daughter" leads a little girl to another "United Daughter" who welcomes them into a temple adorned with garlands of flowers. The society weakened by the collapse of the nativist political movement remained active until circa 1861., Not in Wainwright., Copyrighted by Wm. Patton., Issued October 23, 1847 to Elizabeth Curry for membership in the Lady Taylor Council, No. 10 State of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Wentz, Governess. Anna Clewell, Recd. Secretary., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 160, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bc 052 U 58, LCP exhibit catalogue: Women 1500 to 1900, entry #192., See "Order of the United American Mechanics." AAS Graphic Arts Lithf Patt Hone.
Date: c1848
Location: Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Bc 052 U 58

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