In the 18th and early 19th centuries, German Lutheran churches in America typically provided elaborately printed and hand-lettered certificates called “frakturs” to commemorate occasions such as births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, funerals, etc. By the late 19th century, the practice of giving printed souvenir booklets began in which an official, such as the minister would enter the appropriate information to commemorate the occasion.
The above page is from a 16-page-booklet sold by the Pilger Publishing House of Reading, Pennsylvania; it was printed in Germany. The booklet was presented on the occasion of the marriage of William E. Dietrich and Helen M. Hoffman, both of Gratz, R.D. (Specktown, Lykens Township), Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, which took place in Lykens Township on 2 March 1915 and was performed by Rev. Edgar James Heilman of the Simeon Lutheran Church, Gratz.
The cover of the booklet (shown above) refers to it as “A Token of our Wedding.”
The signed certificate was considered a legal document.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.