Jon Charles Acker collection of religious certificates
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection includes certificates documenting marriages (58), baptisms (8), confirmations (7), and deaths (3), primarily from New York State. Most are from the 19th century and are of a religious nature, with many depicting Christian imagery and text. Some certificates are in German.
Biographical/Historical Note
Jon Charles Acker, Ph.D., began collecting religious ephemera about 2008, obtaining thousands over time. His principal purpose was to preserve the documents, keeping a digital copy for himself then donating or selling the original to an appropriate institutional or other collection, typically one open to public access. His collecting focus was on baptismal forms, particularly in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, though he also sought marriage, confirmation, communion, and other religious forms, all generally dating from before 1930. The collection held by New-York Historical Society represents just some of Acker's acquisitions, that is, certificates related to New York State.
(The above note is based on information provided by Dr. Acker in an email to N-YHS curator Marilyn Kushner.)
Arrangement Note
The collection is arranged by type of certificate and then chronological within type.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes certificates documenting marriages (58), baptisms (8), confirmations (7), and deaths (3). The bulk are of a religious nature, with many depicting Christian imagery and text. The bulk are from events that occurred in New York State, with a small number concerning out of state events that involved someone from New York (e.g., a groom from New York marrying in his bride's out of state hometown). The bulk are from the 19th century, with a few from the early 20th century. Some of the marriage certificates are of a form that allowed for the insertion of cartes-de-visite of the bride and groom; the container list identifies where such photographs are included. Some of the certificates are in German and these are also noted in the container list. All documents in the collection are identified to the item level in the container list.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Available by advance appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.
Use Restrictions
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Permission to reproduce any Print Room holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 270. Fax: (212) 579-8794.
Preferred Citation Note
This collection should be cited as Acker collection of religious certificates, PR 360, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition Note
Gift of Jon Charles Acker, February 2018.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
Volunteer Alison Barr did the finding aid's item level inventory in April 2018, with additional description and processing of the collection done by archivist Larry Weimer.