Daniel Schumacher (c. 1728–1787) was an American

fraktur Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...

painter. He was the first artist to use fraktur as a method of general record-keeping, rather than a document of important events. Schumacher was born in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

; his name is found on a ship's manifest from Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, in 1751, at which time his profession is given as "candidate of theology". His education was poor, and he had no ministerial qualifications; even so, Lutheran congregations in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

needed a pastor, and he was able to make a living at the profession. He was active during his career in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties. Schumacher kept records of various pastoral acts, decorating them with images of flowers and angels; from 1754 until 1773 he kept a similar book of his own, noting each child he baptized or confirmed. Other motifs to appear in his work include the eye of God and hearts. He attempted to depict Lutheran doctrine in six drawings; he drew New Year greetings to friends, and produced other drawings as well. Some of his frakturs contain poems of his own composition. Schumacher married and had a family, and owned a farm of one hundred acres. He died in Weisenberg Township, Pennsylvania . Schumacher was a controversial figure during his life, being accused of drunkenness on numerous occasions, and leaving his first wife soon after their wedding. He eventually ran afoul of his superior,

Henry Muhlenberg Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (an anglicanization of Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg) (September 6, 1711 – October 7, 1787), was a German Lutheran pastor sent to North America as a missionary, requested by Pennsylvania colonists. Integral to the ...

, who ultimately dismissed him from his post as a pastor; he did, however, have supporters elsewhere in the Lutheran community, and was able to find another position. Surviving pieces by Schumacher may be found in the collections of the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

, the

Winterthur Museum Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Pronounced “winter-tour," Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana (culture), Americana in the United States. The museum and es ...

, and the Monroe County Historical Association in

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It lies within the Poconos region, approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap at the confluence of the Brodhead, McMichaels and Pocono Creeks in Northeastern Pennsyl ...

References

Year of birth uncertain 1720s births 1787 deaths German emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Artists from Hamburg 18th-century American Lutheran clergy People from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania American male painters 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists Religious leaders from Pennsylvania Fraktur artists Painters from Pennsylvania {{US-reli-bio-stub