Frakturs are elaborate illustrated family records made in Pennsylvania German communities. They are equivalent to modern birth, marriage, and death certificates. They were often made by professional artists or by pastors living in the town, and became treasured family heirlooms. The National Archives has over a hundred of these rare and sought-after examples of folk art. Following the Revolutionary War, the government offered pensions to widows who could prove their relationship to a veteran of the war. These handmade family treasures were sent to the government to support Revolutionary War Pension applications. You can watch a special short video about them here: http://youtu.be/nmC10gCi-g0