RARE PA German Album of Solomon Gery, Harlem, PA ca1868 Clipping Collection in German & English in 1820s Book Start Price USD 625.00 Current Price USD 625.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, December 01, 2008 End Time Thursday, December 11, 2008 Location Devon, Pennsylvania See more about 'RARE PA German Album of Solomon Gery, Harlem, PA ca1868' Description You are viewing an extremely rare and unique scrapbook album of Solomon Gery of Harlem, Pennsylvania compiled between the years 1868 and 1872 and consisting of 323 pages of material.  This is a vast collection of German and English recipes, home remedies, gardening information, and much material on local circuses Gery attended (see image 3) during the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. He made a titlepage of sorts by pasting letters cut from old posters (see image 1) and his name appears several times throughout the album both in English and in German.  I have included a scan of a letter stuck between the pages which bears his name and address.  The album appears to be a recycling of an older ledger book owned by a Samuel Gery with entries in German, primarily items sold to people in the area. A sample page of the German is shown. These "unused" pages are mostly toward the back. Many culinary recipes trace to Die Geschickte Hausfrau and other regional culinary sources, especially Reading almanacs.  This rare album is cited as a unique recipe source in SAUERKRAUT YANKEES (Philadelphia, 1983), page 209 and was exhibited at Swarthmore College in 1983 for the German-American Tricentennial show devoted to rare imprints and ephemera from the Roughwood Collection.  A fantastic insight into the sort of materials read and used by small-town Pennsylvania Dutch.  The album is bound in a leather spine with worn leather boards (see image 5) and measures 6 1/4 by 15 3/4 inches (oblong format, vertically arranged). Overall condition is good, pages a little frayed along the edges from heavy reading over the years.  This is one of those collections you can get lost in for hours.  TEXTS IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH. PLEASE NOTE: Solomon Gery is a descendant of Jacob Keri born at Kirschland, Alsace (now part of Switzerland) and who came to Pennsylvania in 1739 on the Ship Robert & Alice.  Jacob Keri (now spelled Gery) became a well-known potter, tilemaker, and brickmaker. The Glen-Gery Brick Company near Reading, PA is named in honor of Jacob and his early contributions.  Solomon Gery is pictured in several rare photo collections at the Schwekfelder Library in Pennsburg, PA.  His house, where this album was compiled, is still standing. Place a Bid!