Predominantly in English, some business records and a postcard in German.
Restrictions on Access
Unrestricted access.
Summary
This collection documents an artisanal family of first generation immigrant Germans in Baltimore, Maryland, and consists of business ledgers (dates, customer names, work orders, and prices) with additional customer orders (1869-1891) as well as four albums. Two ornate photograph albums of unidentified family members date from approximately 1870-1940. Many photographs (tintypes, cartes de visite, etc.) are from Quakenbruck, Germany, and Baltimore, Maryland. Another album contains decorative patterns, presumably used in the Gust F. Trebert & Son business. Finally, a family album containing approximately 180 postcards (many signed by, or addressed to, members of the Essig family) represents multiple locations and attractions including: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Niagara Falls; George Washington's Mount Vernon; and several European cities. These date from 1912 to 1926.
This collection was created by and preserved by the heirs of the August Trebert Estate before being sold.
Note
In Rare Books and Manuscripts, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa. (#2010-0067R)
Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Johanson Rare Books, 2010.
Biographical or Historical Sketch
August F. Trebert immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland, from Germany in 1868 and set up a china decorating shop which provided gilding, decorating, and firing services. Trebert married Johana Essig after she arrived in Baltimore in 1876 and they had four children: Annie, Gustav, Herman, and Alvinne.
Endowment Note
Mary Ann O'Brian Malkin Program Endowment for Rare Books and Manuscripts
