A rare early 19th-century Pennsylvania Dutch folk art drawing showing George Washington and an American eagle with 13 stars has sold at auction for $226,600 (£175,000). The artwork had remained hidden in a plain manila folder for more than six decades.
The double-page ink and watercolour fraktur bookplate was made in Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. According to auction details published by Pook & Pook Inc., the piece came from a private collection where it had remained untouched inside a folder for more than 60 years. Bidding at the auction house's salesroom in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, far exceeded the original estimate of $15,000 to $25,000. The artwork eventually sold for $226,600, including the buyer's premium.
Rediscovery of a hidden folk art treasure
Fraktur is a distinctive folk art tradition that Pennsylvania German settlers practised from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. These works were usually made with ink and watercolour on paper. They often appeared in family Bibles, birth certificates and religious books as decorative bookplates or pages used to record important details. The recently sold piece features a detailed design spread across two pages, painted with bright colours.
One side shows a full-length portrait of George Washington. The other features an American bald eagle surrounded by 13 stars, representing the original American colonies. In its report on the sale, Antiques & The Arts Weekly noted that the artwork attracted strong competition from bidders on the phone and online. Its excellent condition and rare patriotic images helped drive interest. The artwork had stayed inside a dark paper folder for more than six decades.
This protected the original ink and watercolour from sunlight and helped preserve its bright colours.
Artistic context and historical links
Art historians connect the style of the work to the Schwenkfelder folk art traditions of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Reference material cited in the lot catalogue by Pook & Pook points to similar historical works recorded in Fraktur Writings and Folk Art Drawings of the Schwenkfelder Library Collection by Dennis Moyer.
Many surviving fraktur drawings mainly feature flowers, birds or religious messages. Political and patriotic figures, such as George Washington, appear much less often.
Showing the first US president alongside national symbols gave early German-speaking immigrants a way to express their sense of belonging and civic identity in the young American republic. The final price of $226,600 places the artwork among the most valuable fraktur pieces sold at public auction in recent years.
Strong demand for American folk art
The sale reflects continued demand for high-quality objects linked to Pennsylvania German culture and history. Collectibles with a clear ownership history and original colours continue to attract strong prices from specialist folk art collectors and American historical institutions. According to post-sale data released by Pook & Pook, the auction house attracted wide interest across its entire Americana catalogue.
The patriotic fraktur was the event's top lot. All hammer prices from the sale reflect final transactions that include buyer's premiums, as recorded by the auction house.