Fraktured Fairytales

I've recently fallen in love with 19th-Century Pennsylvania Dutch fraktur art. Original drawn and painted works are few and far between, but you can still find good deals on printed birth certificates and marriage documents that were hand-colored by their owners.

I like the color palette in this baptismal record, currently for sale on ebay:



Also on ebay, this charming watercolor embodies the best qualities of frakturs: vibrant colors, floral emblems, and a delightful personal touch with the man and his plow:



Because it's so rare to find well-executed frakturs that have survived, the better ones are quite expensive. Lucky for us, a new generation of folk artists is carrying on the tradition at affordable prices.

For instance, Etsy seller The Lion and the Lamb offers this beautiful original compass flower fraktur:



Hurry and grab it now -- she's offering a deal on shipping!