Antique 1903 German Lutheran Hymnal Deutsches Gesangbuch Personalized Cover 1904 For Sale

Antique 1903 Deutsches Gesangbuch German Lutheran Hymnal

Published for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States.

Up for sale is a beautiful piece of early 20th-century German-American religious history. This is a 1903 printing of “Deutsches Gesangbuch für die Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in den Vereinigten Staaten,” published by J.E. Stohlmann of New York and John G. Maier of Philadelphia.

This compact devotional hymnal features a personalized front cover beautifully stamped in gold gilt with the original owner’s name and date:

“Mathilda Obeameier 1904”

The personalization suggests the book may have been presented for a religious or family milestone such as confirmation, although its exact original occasion is unknown.

Item Details:

* Title: Deutsches Gesangbuch für die Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in den Vereinigten Staaten

* Publication Year: 1903

* Personalized Date: 1904

* Language: German

* Text Style: Traditional Fraktur / Gothic script

* Binding: Full leather

* Publishers: J.E. Stohlmann, New York & John G. Maier, Philadelphia

* Format: Pocket / Compact Hymnal

* Dimensions: Approximately 5.5” x 3.75”

* Topic: Christianity / Lutheranism / German-American Religious History

The full leather binding features ornate gold gilt tooling across the front cover, back cover, and spine. Decorative patterned endpapers add to the period appearance of this attractive small-format devotional book.

Condition:

This antique hymnal shows substantial age and use while retaining strong historical character. The book has held up really well. The back pages have years and writing

Exterior:

The front and back boards retain bright and attractive gold gilt detailing. The leather shows considerable shelf wear, rubbing, and scuffing, particularly around the edges and corners.

Spine:

There is significant chipping, peeling, and leather loss at both the top and bottom of the spine. The leather also shows heavy cracking along the hinge areas.

Interior:

The text block remains largely secure. The pages show typical age-related toning but remain readable and legible.

There is noticeable ink / ballpoint pen scribbling, apparently done by a child, on the rear endpapers and on a couple of pages toward the back of the book. These markings are shown in the photos and are an important part of the book’s current condition.

The personalized “Mathilda Obeameier 1904” gilt cover makes this especially interesting for collectors researching family genealogy, German-American immigrant history, Lutheran religious material, antique hymnals, or early 20th-century devotional books.

Please review all photos carefully for the exact condition, binding wear, markings, personalization, and contents.

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