Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Frontal |
Donor |
Klein, Ellen M. |
Description |
Large white linen altar cloth used in religious ceremony. Altar cloth has a T-shape design; both of the sides and bottom edges of the cloth are meant to drape over the sides and front of an altar. The sides and bottom edge (excluding the corners of the T) are decorated with cutwork embroidery and 1.5 inch-long fringe. Three cutwork crosses centered along the bottom of cloth. Each cross is 4 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide. There are two pairs of small linen loops along the top edge of the cloth, towards the outer edges. These were probably used to secure the cloth to the altar during religious ceremonies. |
Dimensions |
W-26.75 L-73 inches |
Year Range From |
1930 |
Year Range To |
1962 |
Place Of Origin |
USA/Connecticut/Bridgeport/Our Savior's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church |
Owned By |
Our Savior's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church |
Used By |
Our Savior's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church |
Material |
linen |
Associated People |
Klein, Ellen M. Nielsen, Viggo |
Search Terms |
altar cloth frontal cutwork embroidery USA Connecticut Bridgeport Our Savior's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Klein, Ellen M. linen Nielsen, Viggo religious ceremony cutwork embroidery cross |
Provenance |
The linen altar cloth was used on the altar of Our Saviour's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. There is no record of who embroidered or donated the raiments originally. However, it is known that this altar cloth was used on an altar hand-carved and made by Viggo Nielsen, of Bridgeport. The donor was able to salvage this altar cloth when the church moved from Bridgeport to nearby Fairfield. The donor dated the altar cloth to around 1930. The donor's parents were both deeply involved in the church while it was in Bridgeport. The donor's father, Valdemar Kristensen, served at times as the church's president and custodian, and the donor's mother, Kamma Kristensen, was the church's organist and choir director. Our Saviour's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church was formally organized on 27 September 1894. The church was housed in an old building on Beach Street. On Saturdays, the church held school sessions where subjects such as Bible School, and Danish history, reading and writing were taught. Reverend A. W. Andersen led the charge to build a new church, which was dedicated on 18 December 1904. However, this church lacked a parsonage, and the church had to make do with visiting clergy. Among the visiting clergy were Pastor Valdemar Jensen from Hartford and Sven Baden. Yet another building, this time a house, was purchased and renovated to house a parsonage on the second floor. This was completed in 1922. In January of 1945, the church decided to discontinue the morning worship service in the Danish language, for more and more non-Danish Lutherans were attending and more of the church founders' children used english as their primary language. By 1954, the congregation dropped the word "Danish" from their official name. In 1962, the Synod determined that Our Saviour's and St. Paul's congregations should combine. Our Saviour's being the smaller congregation, was ordered to close or relocate. A small portion of the congregation with close Danish ties decided to relocate to nearby Fairfield. At the time of donation, this church had been able to establish itself in Fairfield as Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church. The museum's Family History and Genealogy Center has several sources on Our Saviour's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bridgeport in its collection. |
Date Received by Museum |
07/25/1994 |
Images |
031\1994180001a.JPG |
Accession number |
1994.180 |
Object Identification Number |
1994.180.001a |