A Primitive Angelus

In 1914, Katie Kramer lived near Mount Joy.

In December of that year, she received a postcard from her friend, Anna, in Middletown.

Anna typed her message – a ” sincere hope that Santa will not forget you”.

The postcard features a primitive rendering of the painting, “The Angelus”, by Jean-Francois Millet. (The original now hangs in the Musee d’Orsay, in Paris.)

Copies of Millet’s painting hung in many homes during the early 20th century; many Protestants who had no knowledge of the Angelus prayers revered this illustration of Roman Catholic practice among devout rural workers.

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