Jacob Strickler

Jacob Strickler (1770-June 24, 1842) was an American fraktur artist.

Strickler was born in the community of Massanutten, Virginia, in a portion of Shenandoah County which forward-looking became portion of Page County. He was descended from the company of Mennonites who had moved to the region from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by 1733. Evidence suggests that he was a Mennonite preacher and schoolteacher in auxiliary to creating fraktur. His earliest enduring work, dated 1787, already reveals him to be an skilled calligrapher gone his own distinctive personal vocabulary of symbols, including inverted hearts past flowers at their tips, sawtooth patterns, and comma-shaped serifs. Nearly a dozen surviving pieces, dating from 1787 to 1815, are known, including two birth records; two writing exercises; three uncolored practice designs; two religious allegories; a third, secular writing exercise; and another small drawing. These last two bear motifs reminiscent of those found upon a tall-case clock made by a neighbor and relative, Johannes Spitler. The plants of Strickler's training is unknown, but his behave bears Definite similarities to that by more prolific fraktur artists from Pennsylvania, such as Daniel Schumacher. He evinced great confidence in his own work, in 1794 writing: "the paper is my arena and the pen is my plow. This is why I am therefore clever. The ink is my seed behind which I write my name." At his death Strickler was interred in the relations cemetery upon his property.

Several works by, or official to, Strickler are held by the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. Another piece is in the buildup of the Winterthur Museum; one is in addition to owned by the American Folk Art Museum.