A 1739 hymnal from the Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from the collections of Elizabethtown College.

Video: Ephrata Cloister Hymnal

Our friends at Cinema Quilt captured the stories behind five objects featured in our 2022 Open House. In the latest installment of this series, we learn about a 1739 hymnal produced by members of the Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from the collections of Elizabethtown College. Senior Book Conservator Richard Homer paints a vivid picture of daily life in the community and describes some of the issues, such as a mysterious turquoise staining, that emerged while treating this historic volume.

Click here to view the video.