Pennsylvania Dutch / Fraktur (18th–19th century)
Pennsylvania German Fraktur documents and hex signs use animals and figures that are purely heraldic and emblematic — not naturalistic, not cartoons. The distelfink bird is a flat stylised silhouette in strict profile, with a fan tail and a single decorative eye dot, like a playing card symbol. Horses are profile silhouettes with a stylised mane, stiff legs, and decorative dots or chevrons as internal pattern. Human figures when they appear are flat and frontal like paper dolls — simplified features, arms held out symmetrically, no shading or perspective of any kind. Everything is flat pattern, as if cut from coloured paper or embroidered on cloth. Think heraldry or playing card suits, not illustration.
Fête poster
Gig poster
