Quilter's Muse Virtual Museum               

Online since 2002. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH

Samplers

Historic Embroidered Schoolgirl Samplers

by Patricia L. Cummings

 

Lately, historic needlework Samplers are enjoying what seems to be a kind of renaissance. On January 6, 2006, an enthusiastic crowd gathered at the New Hampshire Historical Society to enjoy a slide/lecture by Pamela Parnal, Curator of Textiles, Boston Museum of Fine Arts. She is the author of a book, Samplers from A to Z.¹ Her study of these intriguing historical objects, in Boston, is ongoing.

Jane Wilson's 14 3/4" x 12" sampler made at "aged 13," Delaware, 1791, silk on linen. Photo provided courtesy of Stephen and Carol Huber, Old Saybrook, CT www.AntiqueSamplers.com

This article is based on a number of resources. I hope to provide an overview of the topic of Samplers, to discuss who made these antiques, the purpose of their creation, and why they seem to be so important to us in today's world. They are certainly commanding high prices! What is the intrigue?

Initially An Educational Tool

The word, “Sampler,” is most often associated a means to educate young girls, both in England and in America. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, the word, “Sampler,” is derived from Middle English, and means “an example to be imitated.” Another source of the word is Old French, essamplaire, 'exemplar.'

The letters of the alphabet, numbers, geometric designs, and later, verses, would be embroidered by counted cross stitch onto a piece of linen. Early on when the Sampler served as a means to an end, that of learning, the finished product did not hold much significance. The piece with its mistakes, perhaps with letters or numbers put in backwards, might be stored in a trunk. That was to change. In her book, The Age of Homespun, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich states the following:

By the eighteenth century, many (Samplers) were made to be framed, and most had verses. Almost all were inscribed with the maker's name. Samplers displayed the wealth of an embroiderer's family as well as her literacy and her future role as custodian of fine textiles.²

She shares this verse found on an old Sampler:
 

When I am dead and in my grave,
And all my bones are rotten.
When this you see remember me,
That I won't be forgotten.³

Death and Religion Constant Themes

The theme of death is a curiously prevalent one on these antique needlework pieces, considering the tender ages at which they were wrought. In making these samplers, the emphasis centered on virtue, patience, and dedication to humility and truth. The traits represented by the words on the Sampler were a lesson in themselves, and desirable qualities for young women to have, in Colonial America.

Website Correspondent Describes Antique English Sampler

An English sampler is described in a post to Theresa Venette's website.⁴ Reportedly, an eight year old girl, named Mary Ann Vasey, stitched the following verse, in 1797. Notice that the “s” was often written like our present day “f.” Also, the “e” in “the,” on the first line, is missing.

Virtue's the chiefeft Beauty of th Mind,
The nobleft ornament of human-kind:
Virtue's our Safeguard and our guiding Star,
That Airs up Reafon when our Senfes err.

1804 New Jersey Sampler

This beautiful Sampler was made by Elizabeth Estey and marked March 3, 1804, DOB June 1789. Photo provided courtesy of NSCDA-NJ. All rights reserved, 2007. No part of this image may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of NSCDA-NJ. www.colonialdamesnj.org

The above photo was taken by Judy Grow of Frames and Framers, 162 Mercer Mall, Route 1, Lawrenceville, NJ  08648 (609) 452-1091. Photo editor: James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications.

1806 Verse Mentions the Bible

Another example of an antique sampler showed up on eBay recently. This particular piece of needlework was embroidered by Mary Everett, (location unstated). She was eleven years old. The date “December 20, 1806,” appears on the Sampler. According to the seller, this piece has an appraised value of $4,000. and formerly belonged to the daughter of Watterson Rothoker who directed the film, “The Lost World,” in 1925.

This Sampler mentions the Bible, the one book that most Colonial families would have owned. Children often died at a very early age due to many factors, so perhaps they thought about death far more often than children of today.

O Lord thy grace divine impart
And let my Bible be
A guardian angel to my heart
To lead my soul to thee.

Samplers as a Point of Reference for Designs

Professional dressmakers and embroiderers kept a record of their designs by stitching examples onto linen. When the lines of stitches were in rows, the finished piece was called a “Band Sampler.” These records of stitches would provide a point of reference when designs were needed to embroider household linens, or to decorate parts of clothing. Various stitches were used in the creation of Samplers, including “Pattern Darning.”

Parnal reports that evidence of very early Samplers have been discovered during archealogical excavations in northern Egypt from the period between 1200-1500. The climate of the area there was conducive to the survival of textiles, more so than in Europe.

Samplers Became An Avenue of Expression for Women

For women, the making of Samplers came to be a manner of self-expression, in an age when there were few other creative outlets for them. The Shakespearian play, Titus Andronicus, 2 iv., notes the difficulty of trying to converse with a woman whilst she was plying her needle.

Fair Philomel, she but lost her tongue
And in a tedious Sampler sewed her mind.

Parnal quoted part of the above verse in her talk and reminded the audience that, “Samplers are the voices of women of the past,” and that they indeed, served as a way for a girl or woman to express her thoughts. A slide of an early sixteenth century painting, that resides in the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, depicts “Mary” with a folded Sampler in front of her. That is the earliest art reference to Samplers that she has found.

Slide Show Reveals Many Examples

Throughout her talk, Pamela Parnal showed two Samplers or needlework artifacts, side by side, as she systematically, and chronologically noted similarities between pieces, and how each piece could have influenced another, or been a precursor to another. For example, she showed a design of Adam and Eve and the serpent, which was repeated on several Samplers. The motifs look too much alike, for them to have come from out of the blue. A portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, that is in the Victoria and Albert Collection, features decorative stitching done in double running stitch on both sleeves and at the neck of the garment.

The Reformation, which is thought to have begun in 1517, brought an emphasis on education. To that end, there was an increase in the number of boarding schools in England. The printing press had been in use there since mid-fifteenth century, (mid-1400s). When Samplers were first made, there were no written resources for embroiderers. That changed when the first pattern books for stitching were prepared by Peter Quentel in Germany, in 1597, and by another person named Johann Sidmarker, in the same year, according to Parnal.

Needlework for Home Decoration and as an Elegant Pastime

Needlework, then as now, was divided into two categories: utilitarian (household goods), and decorative (made with more expensive materials such as silk.) Traditionally, embroidery appears to have been an activity of the affluent who could afford the supplies and enjoyed more leisure time.

An important discovery made by Parnal is that Colonial Era (eighteenth century) embroiderers in Boston, found various ways to make money from their skills. They taught others how to embroider, or sold their own finished works. Sometimes, they drew design patterns on canvases, for others to follow. The city of Boston is the site of all of Parnal's current research about Samplers.

The Meanings of Sampler Motifs

On her website, Theresa Venette provides a lengthy list of the symbolic meanings of various motifs used in traditional Samplers. In compiling the comprehensive list, she has received help from Brenda Gouws of Africa, and Gail Wheatley. To see their collaborative work, please visit:
http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/symbol.html

Theme of This Sampler Is Apparent

There is no mistake about the intended meaning of the "All Hallow's Eve Sampler," a pattern design by Lesley Rudnicki, in 1993, for her business, Hillside Samplings, of East Aurora, New York. This Sampler is worked with cotton embroidery floss, and perle coton variegated thread, using various stitches, including counted cross stitch and Hardanger. The photo below reveals that my attempt at embroidering the Sampler is about half way finished. For more information about obtaining the instructional pamphlet, please contact Lesley at (716) 655-4091, or visit her website: http://www.hillsidesamplings.com/

This charming design by Lesley Rudnicki is only partially stitched, at the moment. She charted letters so that anyone could personalize the Sampler. You will also see the traditional letters of the alphabet. The photo shows only a portion of the vertical design area, and even that is not completed yet. This is a very fun project, and is an example of a theme Sampler!

Museum Resources: Sampler History

For more information about Samplers, see the Boston Museum of Fine Arts' website:  http://www.mfa.org/  There, one can see a Sampler fragment from the mid-seventeenthcentury that is an example of a two joined pieces of woven linen that have been embroidered with linen thread for a “whitework” effect.

The Peabody Essex Museum has some pages available on the topic, if you key in a search for "embroidered samplers." One of several Samplers that is shown is one with a verse made by Sally M. Bowen of Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa 1800. The materials used are silk and linen. Please see:
http://www.pem.org/embroidery_arts/overview.html

The American Independence Museum in Exeter has two historically important Samplers. We were fortunate to have been able to see these and to photograph them. The following section is excerpted from a much longer file about the museum, that is on this website, and that was published previously in the newspaper, UnRavel the Gavel.

A Tale of Two Needlework Samplers

A schoolgirl Sampler, embroidered by Lucy Ann Mill in 1809, “in the 11^th year of her age” features letters and numbers that little girls were taught to stitch in  schools for girls, of the era. The antiquated piece of linen also contains the following embroidered message which shows a clear awareness of the fragility of life in the early nineteenth century, and the knowledge that many individuals succumbed to death at a very early age due to diseases such as cholera, diptheria, and smallpox.

Lucy Ann Mills wrote:

Friends nor physicians cannot save
My mortal body from the grave
Nor shall the grave define me there
When Christ commands me to appear.

Gilman Family Sampler Passed Down Through the Ages

A less gloomy Sampler by Ann Taylor Gilman was made circa 1740. This item is believed to have been stitched by Ann during her childhood and consists of the alphabet and the words: “ANN + TAYLOR +/HER + SAMPLER.” In the book, Samplers and Samplemakers: An American Schoolgirl Art: 1700-1850, author Mary Jane Edmunds mentions that little girls were taught to embroider, partially so that they could “make initials on clothing and household linens.” Textiles were so valuable, it was important to “mark” every one of them in this way.

The link to read the entire file about the American Independence Museum is:
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/american_independence_museum.htm

Book Resources: History of Samplers

If you are primarily interested in the history of Samplers, a terrific resource is book that consists of a two volumes. This definitive set is entitled, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers and Pictorial Needlework: 1650-1850⁵ This book commands a high price and current online prices range from two hundred and four hundred dollars. Of course, as an out-of-print book and a highly desirable one, the supply is limited.

Ohio Is My Dwelling Place: schoolgirl embroideries, 1800-1850⁶ by Sue Studebaker is a wonderful resource with lots of information and examples of Samplers from Ohio.

High Quality Antique Samplers for Sale

M. Finkel & Daughter is a business that specializes in selling antique Samplers. Morris and Amy Finkel do shows, and offer a print catalogue of thirty-five to forty Samplers, with complete descriptions and pricing information, in May and November. One can also see current monthly listings at their website.

In addition, the business is selling a poster that features various buildings (architecture) taken directly from American Schoolgirl Samplers from 1790-1840. Usually, when one purchases a Sampler, a file that contains genealogical research is included. Please see their website for more details.⁷ To read more about the history of Samplers that are sold on the Finkel website, as well as the names of other countries in which Samplers were made, visit http://www.samplings.com/history.html

Business Sells Antique Samplers and Silk Embroideries

Stephen & Carol Huber frequently place a full page advertisement in The Magazine Antiques. They list their business as "America's Preeminent Source for Girlhood Embroideries," and they are "always interested in purchasing fine needlework." They are located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut and are open by appointment. For more information, visit: www.antiquesamplers.com

The best part of publishing on the Internet is that a file can be given added information, at any time. After this initial file was posted, I picked up a copy of New England Antiques Journal, March 2007 issue, lured by the banner headline on the front, "Where Girls Excelled: Needlework in Early America."

Inside the journal, there is an article by Carol Huber, entitled: "Sample Samplers to Elegant Embroidery: New England's Girlhood Needlework." This article, which is shown on pages 41-45, features many color photos, and some black and white photos, of early needlework, as well as descriptions of a "Girl's Education." The journal is published by Turley Publications, 24 Water St., Palmer, MA  01069.

How To Make Your Own Sampler - Books

A Sampler View of Colonial Life with projects kids can make⁸ by Mary Cobb features projects ideas for children from age 4-8.

Samplers: How to Create Your Own Designs⁹ by Julia Milne is a nice book for those who would like advice and ideas for making their own Sampler. The book also includes a chapter, “Samplers in History.”

Creating Historic Samplers¹⁰ by Judith K. Grow and Elizabeth C. McGrail is another very charming book with charts and historical information. The hard cover book explains how needleworkers used their individual tastes to express themselves with a needle. This book is well worth collecting, and especially if one is thinking about designing a Sampler.

Embroidered Samplers by Dorothea Kay is another must-have book with history, designs, and many examples. Printed in Great Britain, the book was published in 1979 by Charles Scribner's Sons. The introduction to her book quotes a line from Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream that describes two children both embroidering on the same piece of linen, presumably one at each end of the cloth.

We Hermia.......................................................
Have with our needles, created both one flower
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion.

Apparently, the "Bard" was simply reflecting the times in which he lived, when he quoted these words, and the other reference to Shakespeare, previously mentioned.

Kits and Supplies Available to Make Your Own Samplers

The Embroiderers' Guild of America offers three Samplers to reproduce. The first one is a reproduction of a 1797 Sampler with eighteen pages of instruction, written by Denise Harrington Pratt, and also available as a kit.

The second one is a "Mini Flower Basket Sampler" with instructions provided by Barbara L. Rakosnik, and diagrams created by Pat Timpanaro.

The third item is the "Elizabeth Muir Sampler - 1831," with instructions and diagrams by Denise Harrington Pratt. For information about these three pieces of needlework, please visit: http://www.egausa.org/html/shop_samplers.html

Daughters of the American Revolution Museum - Sampler Kits

The DAR Museum in Washington, D.C. currently offers six different kit possibilities for making a Sampler. They also publish a booklet entitled, "Youth is the Time for Progress: The Importance of American Schoolgirl Art, 1780-1860," by Olive Blair Graffam. Call (202) 879-3208, or visit the shop online at: http://www.dar.org/museum/shop.cfm

Designer Offers Free Pattern Online for "Sweet Spring Sampler"

Linda Reeves is a prolific Sampler designer who is discussed on the following site:
http://www.caron-net.com/mar99files/mar99des.html
Visit this website to see many of her inspirational works. She is offering free instructions for making a "Sweet Spring Sampler."

National Needlework Businesses

Many sites and businesses provide needlework supplies. The following are just two examples of reliable mail order sources for needlework supplies are: www.Herrschners.com and www.thestitchery.com

In Conclusion

Samplers that now enchant us were once every day objects intended to keep the hands of young girls busy and productive. Like pages of a book, the girls stitched their fear of unknown times to come, invoking the protection of the Lord, or guardian angels. They included images of houses, animals, trees, flowers, and
“bands” of alphabet letters and numbers, some of those out of sequence or appearing as dyslectic as the scribblings on paper of a young child today, learning the same information.

Perhaps we honor Samplers because they commemorate a time and place that is far distant from us today. Perhaps, they are a point of departure for us to try to know more about the name of a little girl, the place where she lived, or the times in which she existed. Like an epitaph on a gravestone that is covered in moss, with its letters barely visible, Samplers provide a clue to the past, even if we have to use great duress in reading the sign posts.

Samplers are an enduring part of our material culture, and very much a part of modern consumerism among those who are affluent enough to buy antiques that command such high prices. For the rest of us, we will seek, some day, to create our own historic Sampler, in hopes that it, too, will outlive us, but that some time down the road, someone might just be interested that we also walked this planet.

Request: If anyone has an image of a new or old Sampler that could be added to this file, please contact me at: pat@quiltersmuse.com

Disclaimer: This is a compilation of materials and resources that I have personally prepared. I have no financial agreement with any of the above parties. This information is provided only for educational content and awareness.
~Patricia~

Footnotes

©Copyright 2007-2009. Patricia Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, New Hampshire. All Rights Reserved.  pat@quiltersmuse.com

 

 

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