Pa. German Birth Certificate (Waltman #3) c. 1940

Emma M. Krumrine made this Pa. German Birth Certificate, probably with watercolor and ink, and a whole lot of care. Look at that central heart shape, filled with elegant German script, surrounded by birds, flowers, and smaller hearts—it feels like a garden blooming on paper. I imagine Emma, maybe sitting at a table, carefully rendering each detail, each bird slightly different, each flower with its own personality. What was she thinking as she painted these images, these words? Maybe she was thinking about community, family, and the importance of marking these moments of birth and belonging. The surface has a delicate quality, with the colors muted and soft, and each carefully drawn figure feels intentional. It's like a conversation across time, from one artist to another, about what it means to celebrate life, family, and tradition. It makes me want to slow down and remember the beauty of handmade things, and the stories they tell. It’s about mark-making and how the small simple gestures of the hand mean so much.