Command you me from play every minute of the day: Peter Rank, Jonestown, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Since 1927 chestmakers of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania have been known for their distinctive painted designs. By using his account book, this thesis shows how Peter Rank (b. 1770; d. 1851), one of these craftsmen, ran his businesses and lived his life. In a few short years Rank produced hundreds of objects, from bedsteads to desks and churches to benches. Rank must have known urban price scales because he charged two-thirds the Philadelphia price for his furniture. Rank was in direct competition with his brother, John Rank, and Christian Seltzer, both of whom created more sophisticated pieces of painted furniture. ☐ Rank left the wood trade and became an innkeeper and merchant. His accounts give a broad social view of the area. Is Peter Rank typical? His varied ancestry, trade practices, and lifestyle make him a prime example of life in rural Pennsylvania in the early years of the nineteenth century.