Jon Charles Acker collection of religious certificates

Call Number

PR 360

Date

1845-1942, inclusive

Creator

Acker, Jon Charles

Extent

2 Linear feet in one flat box

Language of Materials

Most of the the documents are in English, but many are in German. Those in German are identified in the container list.

Abstract

The collection includes certificates documenting marriages (58), baptisms (8), confirmations (7), and deaths (3), primarily from New York State. Most are from the 19th century and are of a religious nature, with many depicting Christian imagery and text. Some certificates are in German.

Biographical/Historical Note

Jon Charles Acker, Ph.D., began collecting religious ephemera about 2008, obtaining thousands over time. His principal purpose was to preserve the documents, keeping a digital copy for himself then donating or selling the original to an appropriate institutional or other collection, typically one open to public access. His collecting focus was on baptismal forms, particularly in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, though he also sought marriage, confirmation, communion, and other religious forms, all generally dating from before 1930. The collection held by New-York Historical Society represents just some of Acker's acquisitions, that is, certificates related to New York State.

(The above note is based on information provided by Dr. Acker in an email to N-YHS curator Marilyn Kushner.)

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged by type of certificate and then chronological within type.

Scope and Contents

The collection includes certificates documenting marriages (58), baptisms (8), confirmations (7), and deaths (3). The bulk are of a religious nature, with many depicting Christian imagery and text. The bulk are from events that occurred in New York State, with a small number concerning out of state events that involved someone from New York (e.g., a groom from New York marrying in his bride's out of state hometown). The bulk are from the 19th century, with a few from the early 20th century. Some of the marriage certificates are of a form that allowed for the insertion of cartes-de-visite of the bride and groom; the container list identifies where such photographs are included. Some of the certificates are in German and these are also noted in the container list. All documents in the collection are identified to the item level in the container list.

Subjects

Genres

Marriage certificates; Cartes-de-visite (card photographs); Ephemera.; Religious visual works; Baptismal certificates

Places

New York (State)

Access Restrictions

Available by advance appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.

Use Restrictions

Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)

Permission to reproduce any Print Room holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 270. Fax: (212) 579-8794.

Preferred Citation Note

This collection should be cited as Acker collection of religious certificates, PR 360, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition Note

Gift of Jon Charles Acker, February 2018.

Related Archival Materials Note

New-York Historical Society holds a large variety of certificates compiled over time in its Certificates File collection. Among the many types of certificates found there are those of a "legal" nature, including those for marriages, births, deaths, etc.

Collection processed by

Alison Barr and Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:46:57 -0400.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: English

Processing Information Note

Volunteer Alison Barr did the finding aid's item level inventory in April 2018, with additional description and processing of the collection done by archivist Larry Weimer.