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Fraktur Writings and Folk Art Drawings of the Schwenkfelder Library Collection Dennis K. Moyer Kutztown, Pa.: The Pennsylvania German Society, 1997 Reviewed by Scott H. Suter In this latest offering from the Pennsylvania German Society, author Dennis K. Moyer provides an in-depth presentation of not only the beautiful fraktur in the Schwenkfelder Library, but also an historical and cultural introduction to Schwenkfelders in eighteenth and nineteenth century Pennsylvania. Depending upon the section, Moyer at times writes like an art historian, a folklorist or a curator as he describes the wide variety of works from two regions in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Using only a selection from the library's collection of more than one thousand examples, Moyer achieves his goals of providing a tool for comparison with other collections and attributing the work of fraktur artists to a particular region in southeast Pennsylvania. The study is copiously illustrated throughout, offering a visual treat for those who simply want to enjoy these examples of folk art as well as ample representations to support the text. The first three chapters serve as introductions to the subjects of the book: fraktur writing and Schwenkfelders. Chapter One offers a brief survey of "The Development of Fraktur in America," noting the close relationship between fraktur and schools. Moyer discusses the important role that oral tradition played in passing along designs from one generation to another, noting that good students copied the styles of their teachers as well as those of other family members. Carrying his account further, in Chapter Two Moyer explores "Fraktur and the Public School." Here he builds on his theory that schools were the primary sources of fraktur production, emphasizing that until the 1840s schools were administered by religious groups that encouraged, but did not stress, their values. Children of different denominations often attended the same school. The rise of public schools, along with the invention and widespread use of the steel pen, gradually stunted the growth of traditional fraktur writing; most practitioners of the art had ceased to produce fraktur by 1850. Finally in Chapter Three, "The Schwenkfelders in Europe and America," Moyer introduces the reader to the people he writes about, providing a brief history of their beginnings in Europe and their initial settlement in the 1730s near Philadelphia. The meat of the book lies in the remaining chapters; Moyer looks closely at the artists and their works from two communities where Schwenkfelders settled and prospered. Known as the Middle District and the Upper District, both sites were located in Montgomery County and both produced distinctive fraktur. In both chapters four and five individual artist's histories are told while examples of their work is displayed on the surrounding pages. The fact that motifs and styles were borrowed is clearly evident as is the significant role of family tradition. Names such as Heebner, Kriebel, Krauss, and Schultz appear frequently, drawing ties between designs and specific families. The chapters also present works by unknown artists who seemed to follow the sage advice given on the very works they produced. As Moyer notes, "Religious precepts incorporated in the texts of vorschriften and maxims used in school writing exercises taught the virtues of being humble. These attitudes resulted in a reluctance to sign artistic works" (149). Although such moralistic sayings coupled with the Schwenkfelders' religious background might suggest that all of their fraktur had religious themes, this text demonstrates that the contrary is more accurate. Chapter Six, "This and That," offers a selection of holiday greetings, Valentines, labyrinths, sampler patterns, geometric shapes and drawings birds, animals and architecture, suggesting that these artists chose to demonstrate their skills on numerous subjects. Moyer concludes this collection by noting that today we often admire only the beautiful art involved with fraktur, but he also reminds us that "during the 'golden age of fraktur,' the first intent of the scrivener was to thank or honor God." Suggesting that it is easy to ignore the inscription on much fraktur because it is generally written in German, Moyer solves this problem for the reader by reprinting the text first in German and then in an English translation. This is one of the major achievements of the work. Another is the copious amount of color images offered in support of the text. For those interested only in looking at remarkable fraktur writing this book is worth the price. For those interested in learning more about a group of people and their regional art this book is essential.