Samuel Godshall (Born Samuel Kindig Gottschall, November 11, 1808February 14 1898) was an American fraktur artist.[1]
Born into a family of teachers, Gottschall was a resident of the Mennonite community of Franconia, Pennsylvania. His father, Jacob Gottschall, was a preacher and bishop as well as a sometime teacher; with his students he produced books of musical notation. Three of Samuel's siblings were educators as well; one, Martin, also produced fraktur. Neither of the two signed his work, and it is difficult to tell the two apart; their paintings have become popular among collectors because of the colors and imagery employed in their creation. Neither of the two men married; they worked as millers after the end of their teaching careers,[2] operating a property on Perkiomen Creek in Salford.[3] Samuel was a weaver as well, and among his surviving documents are his weaver's record book and weather diary, both of which have proven instrumental in identifying his work.[2]
Surviving frakturs from Gottschall date to the years 1833 to 1836, and do not appear to postdate his teaching career.[3] Several of his works are in the collection of the Mennonite Heritage Center.[4] Others are owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art,[5] the Free Library of Philadelphia[6] [7] [8] and the American Folk Art Museum.[9] Gottschall's style inspired other artists, including John Derstine Souder.[10]