Samplings: XVIII

VOLUME XVIII

SA.~PLI~G-S: !\ selected offering of antique samplers and needlework

M. Finkel ~ Daughter. established 194 7 ANTIQUE TEXTILES AND PERIOD FURNITURE 936 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 215-627-7797

800-598-7432

fax 215-627-8199

Cover Illustration: School of Mrs. Mary Ralston, Easton, Pennsylvania, circa 1834 , page 1 Copyright Š 2000 by M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this Publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without the permission in writing from M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Thank you for your interest in our catalogue of antique samplers.

The field of schoolgirl samplers and needlework provides fascinating opportunities to collectors. A sampler acts as a window into the specific history of a young girl, her family, a teacher, a town, a region and a tradition, and as such provide us with unusual insight. It goes without saying that samplers, from a simple marking piece to an elaborate scene, are also extremely visually appealing. They provide graphic needleworked pictures, each with a remarkable texture and individuality.

Each of our samplers has been fully researched and documented; it is well-known that we both conduct ourselves and have others engage in intensive genealogical research and often achieve important results.

When we describe a sampler or silk embroidery, we frequently refer to a number of fine books that have been written in this field. A selected bibliography is included at the end of the catalogue and is updated regularly. If any of these books prove difficult to procure, let us know and perhaps we can assist in locating them. We also include a description page about our conservation method and encourage you to call us with any questions in this area.

The year 2000 marks the 53rd anniversary of the founding of our firm, a fact of which we are quite proud. We like to think that our positive relationship with clients, many of whom are now second generation, is because of our commitment to customer service. Buying antiques should be based in large measure on trust and confidence, and we try to treat each customer as we ourselves like to be treated.

We operate by appointment and are at the shop five days a week, except when we are exhibiting at an out-of-town antiques show. Please let us know of your plans to visit us.

We urge you to contact us if one or more of our samplers is of interest to you. Should your first choice be unavailable, we urge you to discuss your collecting objectives with any one of us. Our inventory is extensive, and we have many items not included in our catalogue. Moreover, through our sources, we may be able locate the sampler that you are looking for; you will find us knowledgeable and helpful.

Payment may be made by check, VISA, Mastercard, or American Express, and we ask for payment with your order. Pennsylvania residents should add 6% sales tax. All items are sold with five-day return privi lege. Expert packing is included; shipping and insurance costs are extra. We prefer to ship via UPS second day air or Federal Express, insured.

We look forward to your phone calls and your interest.

Amy Finkel Morris Finkel 800-598-7432 antiquesamplers@aol.com Are you interested in selling? We are constantly purchasing antique samplers and needlework and would like to know what you have for sale. We can purchase outright or act as your agent.

Photographs sent to us will receive our prompt attention. Call us for more information.

Please visit us at our website:

www.samplings.com

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS Ann Elizabeth Brokaw, Boundbrook, N.J., 1836 ....... ... ..................... .............. page 17 Beadwork picture of a Manor House, Northern European, 1832 ............. ... ......... .. page 10 Betsey I. Brown, Phillipston, Massachusetts, 1826 ........... ... ............ .. .............. page Martha Clark, Guernsey County, Ohio, 1827

7

............................. ..... .............. page 23

Jane Davison, England, 1818 ..................................................................... page 15 Jerusha Fowler, Pembroke, New Hampshire, 1807 ......... .. . .... .......................... page 28 Electa Fox, Wallingford, Vermont, 1823 ...................................................... page 31 Elizabeth Frazier, Pair ofBeadwork Purses, German Flatts, NY, 1834/1835 ............ page 16 Martha Maria Garretson, Hillsborough, Somerset County, NJ, circa 1835 .. ... ... ... .... page 18 Fanny Goddard, aged 9 years, England, 1807 .. .. ..... ......... ... ..... ........ ..... ......... page 24 Fanny C. Gridley, Granby, Massachusetts, 1821 .......... .... ... ...... . . .. ..... .......... . .. page 29 Delia Hull, Durham, Connecticut, 1812 Urania Inman, Rhode Island, 1815

.. .. ........... .... .. .. .. ..... ... . . . .. .. ........ .. ... . page 26

... .... ... .... .. : .. ... .. ....... ... .. . ... .. . .. ....... ... .. . .. page 27

L. D. C., Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 1784 .. ..... . ..... .. ... .. ..................... .. .... . ... page 30 Sarah Lockwood, Darning sampler, England, 1798 .......................................... page 12 Diantha Lull , New Boston, New Hampshire, 1835 ....... ... . . .. .. .. ........... . ........... . page 13 Mary Ann Magradey, age 12 years, Philadelphia, 1830

.. .. ........ ..... ... . ... ......... ... page

9

Catharine McFarlane, Milnathort, Scotland, 1826 ................................... .. ........ page

6

Eliza McGown, " by tuition of Margaret Ann Perry", American, 1825 ..................... page

2

Miniature Biblical Verse Sampler, England, late 18th century .. .. .. . .. .. ............ ..... .. page 16 Sophia Mosley, Westfield, Massachusetts, l 795 .................. .... . ......... . ............ page

3

Matilda S. Ogden, Lower Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, NJ, 1839 . ........ page 19 Caroline H. Parr, American, 1829 ...... .. ......... ..... ..... . ........... ... ...... .. ........ ... .. page

ll

I. Pearson, age 9, England, May 11, 1822 ...................................................... page

5

Fanny J. Pierce, Erchfont, England, 1879 ...... .. .... ....... ..... .. . ................ ... .. . .. ... page 18 Lydia Pollard, Canaan, New Hampshire, 1820 ...................................... .... ...... page 21 Julia Ann Randolph, aged 8, American, 1831 .... . .... ................ .. .... . .... ............ page Christian Roe to Matilda Roe, English, 1833

4

. .. ............. ... ............ .. . ........ .. .... page 20

School of Mrs. Mary Ralston, Easton, Pennsylvania, circa 1834 ................. .. ... ... . . page

1

Silk Embroidery of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, Dumphries, Scotland, c. 1790 ......... page

8

HelenS. Spoor, miniature sampler, Coxsackie, New York, circa 1845

2

.................. page

Lidea Stolsfusz, Amish, Pennsylvania, 1846 ........ .. .......... ....... ..... .... . .............. page 14 Camilla Palmer Thomas, Newark, New Jersey, circa 1830-40 .... ...... .. .. .... .... . ....... page 20 Christine Watson, Dover, New Hampshire, 1818 ........................ ..................... page 25 Eliza Wilson, Campbeltown, Scotland, 1829 ......... ....... ................... ............... . page 22

M. Finkel {j Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

School of Mary Ralston, Easton, Pennsylvania, circa 1834

One of the most highly regarded American instructresses of the early 19th century, Mary Ralston, conducted a school for girls, which was located in the town of Easton, Pennsylvania from about 1813 until the end of the 1830's. Mrs. Ralston, an obviously experienced and talented needlewoman, designed a distinctive style of sampler which featured buildings surrounded by magnificent lavishly worked borders of lush flowers and leaves. Samplers worked at her school are highly sought after and considered some of the most desirable of 19th century schoolgirl work. Betty Ring in Volume II of Girlhood Embroidery includes an extensive discussion of this school in a section entitled "Samplers of the Lehigh Valley- Easton Samplers and Mary Ralston's School".

We have owned two other samplers worked at this school, and of course are aware of the published examples.

We can easily state that this sampler is by far the most visually commanding of those worked under Mary Ralston's instruction. While the unnamed needleworker responsible for this piece was working squarely within the tradition of schoolgirl samplers, it actually is a needleworked picture with the visual command which can come in absence of alphabets and verse. The prominent building with its unusual low-hipped roof is worked in shades of grey and possesses a graphic strength found on the finest of folk paintings; the contrast between this stark building and the fanciful trees, as well as the deeply imaginative borders, creates a wonderful tension.

Interesting to note is that the inked drawing onto linen is visible in a number of areas. Figure 505 in Girlhood Embroidery, a very similar piece worked at Mrs. Ralston's school, also unsigned and now in the collection of the Monroe County Historical Association, presents the virtually identical border and an original inscription on the back of the sampler which indicates that "the teacher drew one flower at a time".

Worked in crewel wool on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a fine figured maple frame.

Sampler size: 17 lfz'' x 21 114'' Price upon request AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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HelenS. Spoor, miniature sampler, Coxsackie, New York, circa 1845 This engaging little sampler must have been the first needlework project by its maker, who identified herself very specifically on the work itself. The Spoor family emigrated from Friesland in the Netherlands by 1680 and settled in the Hudson River Valley where Helen was born on April1, 1836 to Richard and Christina (Vosburg) Spoor of the town of Coxsackie, along the Hudson River in Greene County, the fourth of their nine children. Helen's sampler would have been worked when she was between seven and ten years old and may have been made at home under the instruction of her mother; the numerical progression remains not fully completed.

It is in excellent condition worked in silk on a homespun linen, conservation mounted into a reeded 19th century frame.

Sampler size: 5" x 7" Price: $950.

Eliza McGown, American, "by tuition of Margaret Ann Perry", 1825 In 1825 Eliza McGown, then "in the 14th year of her age," learned her samplermaking skills from Margaret Ann Perry as documented by this large and handsome sampler. The beautifully worked border surrounds a variety of alphabets and a verse that reads as follows: "Ye sons of men a feeble race Exposed to every snare Come make the Lord your dwelling place And try and trust his care" Samplermakers rarely credited their teachers directly on their needlework and we are pleased to be able to offer this large and carefully executed example. It is in excellent condition, worked in silk onto linen and conservation mounted into a fine black painted and molded frame.

Sampler size: 18 W' x 16" Price: $1650.

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Sophia Mosley, Westfield, Massachusetts, 1795 A recognizable and highly regarded group of late 18th century samplers has emerged from the western Massachusetts town of Westfield and is discussed

by Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, Vol. I, Work from Western Massachusetts. According to Mrs. Ring these "samplers are usually small and vertical.

They were entirely worked over the linen ground by girls who were between the ages of seven and eleven years. At present they date from 1788 through 1796 ... three of the Westfield samplermakers had a parent named Mosley, and one married a Mosley." Indeed figure 161 in Girlhood Embroidery is a sampler worked by a Cynthia Mosley in 1793 which features the Mosley family coat of arms and is labeled as such. The recent discovery of our important sampler worked by Sophia Mosley at age 10 in 1795 adds yet another Mosley family sampler to this cohesive and fascinating group.

Sophia's sampler contains all of the important characteristics of this group. It is fully worked (with the exception of a small portion of the background at the lower right which remains unfinished) and possesses a stunning dark outer border of four-petalled flowers that surrounds it on three sides, peaking at the top center with a delightful little bunch of grapes on a vine. A sawtooth inner-border, a pot of flowers and pair of fruit trees add further to the aethestic appeal. The verse chosen by the young samplermaker: "This needle work of mine can/ Tell I in my Youth was learned we/ 11 and by my Elders Also taught/ not to spend my Time for naught" addresses the importance of filial duty and of industry, two of the popular themes of the period.

Sophia was born in Westfield on May 24, 1785, the daughter of William and Lydia Mosley and seems to have married Abner Stevens of Westfield in 1808 although town records are somewhat sketchy. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a molded figured cherry frame.

Sampler size: 14 W' x 12 W' Price: $16,500.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

4

Julia Ann Randolph, aged 8, American, 1831 There is much to recommend in this handsome sampler inscribed, "Julia Ann Randolph wrought this sampler in the 9th year of her Age 1831". The substantial three-storied house seems to have been worked in three-quarter view, as both front and side doors are shown, and the addition of the tiny house at left adds to its appeal. Also at the left is a delicately worked tree with queens stitch leaves; tulips and a flowering tree to the right provide further color and texture. The strawberry and vine border contributes an exceptional four-sided frame to this sampler and is further enhanced by drawnwork at the very edges of the piece.

Julia Ann was only eight years old ("in the ninth year of her age") but obviously showed remarkable aptitude in this field. Her sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a tiger maple beaded edge.

Sampler size: 16 IN' x 17'' Price: $5800.

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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I. Pearson, age 9, England, May 11, 1822

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'(N hal's lhe bloommg l tndure of lhe lktn ,

'!' o peac e of mi ~d,an d har mon)! nrtlhm 1 W hal lhe brtglifpar klill! of lhe RneG eye 't'o lhe fort foolhms oh c alm r.- ply.' l.PnrSQ11

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Bullhefe,-lhefe only c an lhe hearl r elatn. n M~y te2.2

Scholars and collectors have long been impressed with the outstanding samplers that were produced by very young English schoolgirls in the early 19th century; we are privileged to be able to offer this extraordinary example which is the obvious combination of excellence in instruction, design and execution.

The checkerboard manor house and its fence sit upon an imaginative lawn worked with various animals and flowering plants, and a variety of trees provide perches for polychromed birds. A skillfully worked three-sided border, a vine of assorted flowers, emanates from a pair of decorated pots, which are superimposed on checkerboard plinths. It is a scene with impressive visual appeaL The verse (which employs the archaic use of the long letter "s") reads as follows and is one of the loveliest sampler verses to be found: ''What's the blooming tincture of the skin, To peace of mind, and harmony within, What the bright sparkling of the finest eye, To the soft soothing of a calm reply?

"Can comeliness of form or shape or air, With comeliness of words or deeds compare No; those at first th' unwary heart may gain; But these -these only can the heart retain."

The samplermaker, I. Pearson, was only 9 years old when she completed this praiseworthy piece, the tangible evidence of her accomplishments. It was worked in silk on wool and is in excellent condition in a later black frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 12" x 17" (detail) AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Price: $14,500.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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Catharine McFarlane, Milnathort, Scotland, 1826

It is a pleasure to offer this classic Scottish sampler worked by Catharine McFarlane, which depicts one

of the most handsome manor house and fenced-in garden scenes that we have seen in years. Additionally, and not without substantial significance, is information which the samplermaker stitched onto the sampler flanking the house, naming a "Mrs. Orrock", who was no doubt the teacher and "Milnt.", which was the abbreviation for the village of Milnathort in Kinross, central Scotland, along with the year, 1826.

This spectacular sampler is crowded with wonderful needleworked motifs such as the potted flowers, baskets, trees, birds, dogs, initials, and the pair of tiny heralding angels which flank the samplermaker's name. The fence and gate exhibit needlework of the utmost skill and the manor house was depicted with great detail and architectural whimsy.

Catharine's sampler was worked in silk onto wool and is in excellent condition; it has been conservation mounted into a beveled birds eye maple frame with a black beaded edge.

Sampler size: 12 W' x 15" Price: $4850.

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Betsey I. Brown, Phillipston, Massachusetts, 1826 "Genealogical needlework ¡~o may be an American invention ... and the ¡ .t majority of the examples were made in Massachusetts between 1810 and 1830", according to Family Record: Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework published by the D.A.R. Museum in conjunction with a definitive exhibition at their Washington, D.C. museum in 1989. The function of this type of sampler was similar to that of the family bible as it recorded and preserved information regarding the cohesive family unit, which had taken on heightened importance in the early years of the new Republic. We were extremely pleased to have discovered this praiseworthy Family Record sampler worked in the town of Phillipston, Massachusetts, which fits squarely into this genre and presents an unusually handsome picture.

Phillipston is in northern Worcester County and in 1837 had a population of only 887; however, a number of sophisticated samplers are known to have been worked in that town in the 1820's and 30's which would indicate the presence of a knowledgeable schoolmistress in the area. Betsey's sampler includes a striking white house with tall green windows, a pale blue door with a fanlight and a deep blue roof all worked in lustrous crinkled silk threads; the small building to the right may have been a smokehouse. The house as well as the trees, basket of flowers, border and drawn-work at the edges were all designed and worked with a great deal of attention to detail and the result is a cohesive sampler which displays the talents of its maker as well as her instructress.

The Phillipston vital records confirm and elucidate the information as stated on the sampler so that we know that Betsey's parents, Artemas and Mercy, were married there on June 13, 1802 and their ten children were born between 1803 and 1826 with the samplermaker, Betsey Isabella Brown born on June 23, 1811. She married Chancey Bigelow Swan in Phillipston on September 2, 1835 and they had one child, a daughter Ellen Isabella Swan who was born on March 10, 1839; Betsey died ten years later in 1849.

Her sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a cherry frame.

Sampler size: 17" x 17" Price: $9800.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

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Silk Embroidery of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, Dumphries, Scotland, circa 1790 Students of advanced needlework throughout the United States, England and Scotland made extremely fine silk embroidered pictures in the late 18th century and early 19th centuries. Subject matter included scenes with their basis in religion, literature, allegory, and mythology. This exceptional example illustrates Diana and a wounded deer under a masterfully stitched tree; all of the needlework was executed with great skill. The pen and ink drawing and watercolor on the silk add greatly to the picture and the combination is stunning.

The frame is original to the piece and retains its original framer's label which reads as follows:

"McPherson, Class Grinder, Carver, Gilder, & Optician Castle Street Dumphries, Executes in the most Fashionable Taste the following Articles, Looking Classes, Cirandoles, & Picture Frames Gilt Mouldings for Rooms, Window Cornices & Paintings, Prints & Needle work framed with Plain or Fancy Gilt Class, Barometers, & Thermometers Spectacles adapted to different ages in neat frames eather steel, silver, or tortoise shell."

It is in excellent condition throughout. Overall frame size: 17" x 14" Size of oval: 13 W' x 11"

Price: $4850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Mary Ann Magradey, age 12 years, Philadelphia, 1830 This sampler maker used a low two-handled whip-stitched basket filled with flowers and flanked by a pair of lustrous horns-of-plenty as the centerpiece for her extravagant sampler. The needlework was stitched so that every motif can be appreciated separately or as a part of the entire design. The double flowering vines that form the border provide a handsome framework and the inscription "Philadelphia August 31st 1830 Mary Ann Magradeys Work Age 12 year" is underscored by a beautifully worked horizontal vine with buds. Tiny angels at either end of this vine seem to support it in good fashion.

Mary Ann was most likely the daughter of John Magradey who was listed along with his wife in the 1820 Philadelphia census along with one daughter "under ten years of age". Her sampler is a beautifully worked example of schoolgirl samplermaking in both design and execution.

The sampler is worked in silk onto linen and is in excellent condition and conservation mounted into its fine original mahogany frame.

Sampler size: 16" x 17" Price: $4200.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel e:J Daughter.

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Beadwork picture of a Manor House, Northern Europe, 1832 Beginning in the 17th century needleworkers have incorporated minute beads into their samplers and embroidered pictures, however it is far more common to find beads used to highlight an area than to create an entire scene. This is certainly the finest example that we have known; thousands of richly colored beads were sewn to linen canvas to form the house, trees, sky, paths and flowers. The six topiary apple trees in blue planters that line the paths and the architectural balustrade provide wonderfully rich detail. It is initialed "B.M." and date 1832 in gold beads along the lower margin. The condition is excellent and it is in its fine original gold frame.

Size of picture: 8 'h" x 15" Price: $3850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Caroline H. Parr, American, 1829 In 1829 Caroline H. Parr created this positively brilliant sampler and it remained unframed for 171 years so that the polychrome silk floss and the beige linen retain their original crisp tones. The border is a delicate arrangement of blue violets and pink and red buds, and contrasts well with the inner border, a satin stitched geometric pattern.

The sampler motifs include a three-string lyre encircled with a lovely garland of flowers, a Quakerinspired spray of carnations, a basket of fruit and a small blue star. The alphabets and numbers are interspersed with beautifully worked narrow bands of intricate stitches. Overall it is a very lovely sampler in extraordinary condition. Worked in silk onto linen, it has been conservation mounted into a molded cherry frame.

Sampler size: 17" x 17" Price: $6200.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel es Daughter.

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Sarah Lockwood, Darning Sampler, England, 1798

"Darning, which involved interweaving new threads into the warp and weft of a cloth to patch holes and tears, was an important skill for a household embroiderer to acquire. This was especially true prior to the mid-nineteenth century, when advancements in spinning and weaving technology made textiles more affordable. Darning samplers first became popular in Northern Europe during the early eighteenth century, then spread to Great Britain and the United States." Samplers from A to Z, a new publication from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by textile curator Pamela A. Parmal, includes the above description of darning samplers on page eighteen.

Our superb example was worked by Sarah Lockwood in 1798 and features eight large squares darned in varying weave strucutres including twill, basketweave, herringbone and chevron, with white worked darns in each corner. The addition of a delicate oval border and a large flowering branch worked in lustrous silk in the center renders this sampler an even more impressive accomplishment.

Worked in silk on gauze-like linen, it is in excellent condition in a later black reeded frame.

Sampler size: 14 W' x 13" Price: $4800.

M. Finkel e':) Daughter.

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Diantha Lull, New Boston, New Hampshire, 1835 A small group of extremely accomplished samplers is known to have been worked by girls from the Hillsborough County, New Hampshire towns of Goffstown, New Boston and Weare, leaving scholars and collectors to conclude that a schoolmistress of almost unparalleled talent was teaching in this rural community between 1824 and 1835.

The regional characteristics shared by these samplers include the distinctive pair of birds with spotted wings, boldly worked flowers formed of concentric circles and lavish use of the satin stitch and crinkled stitch to form the graceful, uncommonly charming, and faultlessly rendered pictorial images.

Diantha Lull signed her sampler in a less conventional way than most: a handwritten inscription on a narrow piece of paper reads, 'Wrought by Diantha Lull Aged 11 years" and was affixed to the sampler between needleworked sawtooth bands. Our genealogical research confirms the Lull family living in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire where David Lull was born in 1784 and married Mary Colby of Weare in 1808, later removing to New Boston. Their daughter, Diantha Lull was born in New Boston on July 2, 1824, the fourth of their six children. We are extremely pleased to have discovered Diantha's sampler, which is a brilliant addition to this extremely desirable group.

Worked in silk on linen, with applied paper, it is in excellent condition with some very minor darkening along the right edge and a tiny area of loss to the linen, conservation mounted into a fine period tiger maple frame .

Sampler size: 9" x 7" Price: $5800.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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Lidea Stolsfusz, Amish, Pennsylvania, 1846 In Amish Arts of Lancaster County, Patricia T. Herr illustrates Amish samplers and writes of the tradition of their samplers as follows: "In the Pennsylvania German culture a sampler was the basic piece of needlework a young woman completed.

Differing from the British tradition of working samplers in school, German girls in America learned their sewing skills at home from more experienced relatives. Making a sampler was a way to record cross stitch designs that could later be used to decorate household linens."

The earliest Amish sampler known to exist is from 1807 and examples worked through the mid 20th century surface occasionally, reflecting the fact that Amish culture and tradition did not change markedly for approximately one hundred and fifty years. Lidea Stolsfusz's sampler, would be considered unusually appealing when compared to many other Amish pieces; it was carefully designed in a balanced format with many folky motifs carefully executed with strong clear color.

Lidea's sampler was formerly in the collection of Mrs. Herr, the author of Amish Arts of Lancaster County. It was worked in wool on silk and is in excellent condition with the loss of a few stitches, conservation mounted into a cherry and maple cornerblock frame.

Sampler size: 17 1h'' x 12 Price: $3850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Jane Davison, England, 1818

We are extremely pleased to offer this stunning sampler which features a highly developed Adam and Eve scene as well as a wonderfully articulated rendition of Solomon's Temple. This very sophisticated sampler was the work of a samplermaker who, while only thirteen years old, had an unusual mastery of the needle arts.

The central scene of this sampler includes many characteristics that are rarely found: the very appealing asymmetry of Adam and Eve seated casually together, the use of clouds, sun, and moon in the sky and the positively glorious apple tree with its patterned trunk and luxurious spreading branches which support literally hundreds of golden apples as well as several perched birds. The tightly controlled border is typical of early 18th century design and execution and the small vignettes that appear along the bottom are also most appealing.

The inscription on the sampler reads as follows: "Jane Davison's Work In The 14th Year Of Her Age 1818 Be not like those who grace oppose And give their minds to play But let your mind be well inclined In speaking wisdoms way" Sampler size: 16" x 12" Price: $17,500.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

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Elizabeth Frazier, Pair of Beaded Purses, German Flatts, New York, 1834 and 1835 An informative book entitled The Ladies' Work Table: Domestic Needlework in Nineteenth Century America,

by Margaret Vincent of the Allentown Art Museum, chronicled the many varied forms of needlework that interested women throughout the centuries and states the following in regard to headwork: "During the late eighteenth and the early nineteenth centuries, headwork had been taught in certain schools as a form of fancy work.

Around 1830 headwork became a craft of the middle classes. Beads were more durable than the wool yarns and provided a shiny texture. But headwork was difficult to accomplish ... .the work is therefore generally limited to very small artifacts".

We offer these fine small purses, each fully worked with tiny glass beads, signed by "E. Frazier, German Flatts" and dated 1834 and 1835 respectively. A handwritten note, which accompanies the purses, identifies the maker as Elizabeth Frazier. This small town is in Herkimer County, New York state, approximately seventy-five miles west of Albany, where the highly fertile land of the German Flatts supported many prosperous farmers and their families .

The purses are each worked on both sides on beautifully wrought steel frames; they remain in excellent condition.

Size of purses: 1834, 4" high, Price for the pair: $1100.

1835, 3 W' high

Miniature Biblical Verse Sampler, England, late 18th century The needleworker responsible for this extraordinary sampler worked on such a minute scale that we can safely state that we have never previously come across another worked as such. Measuring only 3" x 2 W' (excluding the braid) this spectacular little sampler clearly exhibits the competence of a highly practiced hand.

Biblical passages became a common subject for 18th century schoolgirl samplermakers in that lessons in both morals and needle arts could be combined. Pamela A. Parmal observes, in Samplers from A to Z, a publication of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston that the inclusion of Bible verses and moral sayings onto British samplers increased during the 18th century and that memorization of biblical verse provided another facet to the curriculum of school for young ladies.

Worked in silk on linen with its original silk braid and tassels it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a period frame .

Sampler size: 3" x 2 W' Price: $2250.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Ann Elizabeth Brokaw, Boundbrook, N.J., 1836 A handsome needleworked landscape dominates this important sampler, which may look familiar to many collectors; this very sampler was used as the cover illustration of the Weathervane Books edition of American Samplers, by Bolton & Coe (at right), first published in 1921, now considered the ground-breaking treatise in the field. The pastoral setting, two boys fishing at a shimmering blue lake with a thatched roof cottage and wind swept trees, is highly unusual and more painterly an image than is typically encountered on a schoolgirl sampler.

The samplermaker was nine-year-old Ann Elizabeth Brokaw of the town of Boundbrook on the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey. The Brokaw family were French Huguenots and early settlers of the Raritan Valley; it was a prominent and prolific family with members serving as mayor and early bankers of the town. Young Miss Brokaw included three complete alphabets and her initials in the banded area above her worked scene; the sampler is surrounded on four sides with strong and rhythmic border providing a graphic framework. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a maple bead. A copy of Bolton & Coe's American Samplers accompanies this piece.

AMERICAN SAMPLERS

ETIIE L STANWOOD DOLTOJ'\ Olld

EVA JOHN STON COE

Sampler size: 17 1/4'' x 17" Price: $9200.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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Martha Maria Garretson, Hillsborough, Somerset County, New Jersey, circa 1835 Martha Maria Garretson produced this beautifully designed sampler with a series of alphabets and an impeccably worked collection of mirror-image sampler motifs including potted flowers, pairs of birds and baskets of fruit.

She ingeniously worked her first name in large letters along the bottom row of the largest alphabet.

Martha was born in 1823 to Stephen and Nelly (Van Nuys) Garretson in this prosperous area populated by members of the Dutch Reformed Church. Martha married a farmer John Sutphen on November 22, 1843 and she died ten years later in 1853.

Her sampler is in excellent condition, worked in silk on linen, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a maple-beaded edge.

Sampler size: 16" x 15 W' Price: $3800.

Fanny J. Pierce, Erchfont, England, 1879 This is a very pleasing Adam and Eve sampler, which was worked in the village of Erchfont in southern Wiltshire. The balanced format, typical of English samplers, includes baskets, birds, little dogs, pots of flowers and heralding angels all tightly worked in the cross-stitch. There is much detail to the animals, to Adam and Eve (one has brown eyes and one has blue eyes) and the baskets. Worked in silk on wool, it is in excellent condition with some very minor areas of loss to the wool, conservation mounted into an oak frame.

Sampler size: 12 W' x 10 W' Price: $1450.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Matilda S. Ogden, Lower Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey, 1839 Within the past several years a fascinating group of beautifully made Cumberland County, New Jersey samplers has emerged, each of them featuring a wealth of information personal to the samplermaker. The girls' families were amongst the most prominent in this wealthy area of southern New Jersey and their samplers exhibit great sophistication in design, stitches, and technique; it is likely that the schoolmistress responsible for teaching this group was herself schooled in Philadelphia during the 18th century as the Cumberland County samplers share many desirable characteristics with some of the outstanding early Philadelphia examples.

The Ogden family began its history in America with the charter of Connecticut given by King Charles II to John Ogden in 1662, who was subsequently considered a founder and leader of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. A branch of the Ogden family later moved to southern New Jersey as part of a group of settlers who preferred the prospect of better relations with the more peaceful woodland Indian population of southern New Jersey. Matilda Ogden was born there on October 8, 1829 to Elmer and Sarah (Sheppard) Ogden whose births and 1819 marriage were recorded on the sampler along with the births of Matilda's nine siblings. Matilda married Jonathan Fithian, a dairy farmer, on April1, 1851, they had seven children between 1852 and 1866, and Matilda died in 1885.

The samplermaker was only ten years old when she worked this remarkable example of schoolgirl craftsmanship. It was accomplished in silk on linen and remains in excellent condition, conservation mounted into its original 19th century gilt frame.

Sampler size: 17 IN' x 18" Price: $9600.

(detail)

AMERICA ' S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel e':j Daughter.

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20 Christian Roe to Matilda Roe, English, 1833 Samplers made by males are quite uncommon and so our endearing little example worked by Christian Roe for Matilda Roe is a fine discovery. The high level of precision with which this sampler was worked is also unusual; the varied elements were each stitched very methodically, lending them an almost architectural quality so that the baskets, bird, and hea-rt that dominate the center become almost abstract.

This sampler is inscribed "From Christian Roe to Matilda Roe 1833" and may have been presented to a sister, mother or perhaps a wife. It is a handsome and unusual piece of needlework worked in silk onto a gauze-like linen in excellent condition, conservation mounted into its original rosewood frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 7" x 7 lfz'' Price: $2450.

Camilla Palmer Thomas, Newark, New Jersey, circa 1830-40 We are always grateful to the samplermakers who include the place of origin directly on their work as it enhances the desirability of any American sampler.

Camilla Palmer Thomas was nine years old when she completed this handsome piece in Newark, New Jersey, which was, according to a published 1834 account, the most flourishing town in the state because of a thriving manufacturing industry.

The style of the two floral bouquets place the date of this sampler in 1830's to 40's while the alphabets and narrow decorative bands had been in fashion for many years at that point. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition with two small areas of loss to linen; two of the alphabets were worked in beige silk and are therefore somewhat less legible but have not experienced any loss. It has been conservation mounted into a beveled maple frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 14 W' x 12" Price: $2450.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Lydia Pollard, Canaan, New Hampshire, 1820 Lydia Pollard's sampler worked in 1820 is of an unusual and extremely appealing nature; it is small and richly colored with a wonderful free form pictorial quality which accounts for its na¡ive sensibility. A border of plump coral strawberries on a leafy vine emanates from a grassy lawn and intertwines above the sawtooth frame of the inscription while flowers grow from a striped pot. It is all surrounded by another sawtooth border and the overall effect is outstanding.

Lydia Pollard was the second of the eighteen children born to David and Sarah (Gale) Pollard, born February 19, 1807 in the small town of Canaan, New Hampshire in Grafton County, ten miles east of Dartmouth College; the Pollard family had been living in Boston as of the early 17th century. Lydia married ¡ Benjamin George Bradbury and their four children were born in Canaan, where Lydia died in 1875.

This highly appealing sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition with a late 19th century ribbon around the edges, conservation mounted into a early black painted frame.

Sampler size: 8 lfz'' x 8 lfz'' Price: $6800.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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22

Eliza Wilson, Campbeltown, Scotland, 1829 The tradition of 18th and early 19th century Scottish samplermaking included a long and narrow sampler format and a preference for using a combination of red and green for alphabets, initials, etc. This charming sampler is a classic example of these two characteristics with the addition of a charming scene featuring a house, trees, birds, a dog, and other elements.

Research involving English or Scottish samplermakers is rarely rewarding and so we feel fortunate to have had some degree of success in this instance. Elizabeth Wilson named her parents, Menzies Wilson and Elizabeth Cockayne on her sampler and so we were able to confirm that she was born on April 24, 1819 in Campbeltown, Argyleshire, Scotland, a harbor town with a thriving fishing industry in the early 19th century. Menzies and Elizabeth had been married in 1814 in Cornwall, England and would seem to have removed to Scotland prior to the birth of their daughter Elizabeth.

The date "1829" was worked in pale pink silk threads above the little evergreen tree to the right of the house, and the inscription, "Eliza. Wilson Sewed this Sampler" is especially endearing. Worked in silk on linen with its original green silk ribbon edge, conservation mounted into a reeded frame.

Sampler size: 18" x 12" Price: $2850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Martha Clark, Guernsey County, Ohio, 1827 Ohio samplers exist in far fewer numbers than those from its neighboring state of Pennsylvania, and documented examples will be the subject of a forthcoming book by Ohio sampler scholar, Sue Studebaker, entitled Ohio Is My Dwelling Place. This will accompany an exhibition of Ohio samplers at the Ohio Decorative Arts Center in Lancaster, Ohio in 2003.

Because of the rarity of Ohio examples and the obvious charm of this particular piece, we are very pleased to be able to offer this sampler, the work of Martha Clark of Guernsey County, Ohio, dated 1827. She was, as stated on her sampler, "born May th 10 AD 1820", the daughter of Thomas Baker Clark, a Presbyterian preacher and his wife Martha Wylie.

Reverend Clark came from Harford County, Maryland, settled in Ohio in 1810, and by 1817 was living in Guernsey County in the northwestern part of the state. The samplermaker, Martha Clark married a farmer, James Ritchie, in Logan County, Ohio and they made their home in the small town of Belle Center where Martha died in 1897.

Martha's sampler, worked in 1827 when she was only seven years old, features a handsome two-chimney Federal house, many trees and potted flowers, baskets of fruit and the ingenious enclosure of a verse inside the stepped-terrace lawn. This verse, which reads most like a run-on sentence, is most likely an indication that Martha did not read or write at this point. Her needleworking skills were, however, finely honed at this early age as the two floral elements worked in the very difficult queen's stitch (between the potted flowers and the borders on each side) demonstrate. The borders function well to contain this sampler which was designed with an unusual abundance of motifs and alphabets.

This sampler will be illustrated in Mrs. Studebaker's forthcoming book, Ohio Is My Dwelling Place, and it is only the 4th example known to have been worked in Guernsey County. It was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition; please note that two of the alphabets were worked in tan silk which renders them more difficult to read than others. It has been conservation mounted into a cherry frame.

Sampler size: 17 IH'

X

12"

Price: $9800.

(detail) AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

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Fanny Goddard, aged 9 years, England, 1807 This is an usually lyrical sampler with lush foliage, bouquets of flowers, garlands of meandering vines, a zebra, a recumbent deer and many varied birds and insects. The verse must have its source in an 18th century narrative poem and reads as follows: "Near Richmond bright vales in a charming retreat! A mansion ingageingly stands, not expensively/ Raised but commodiously neat, and posess some/ Neighboring Lands, there Belmor with/ Beatious Clairnda retird, From lifes noisey glare/ has removed, By the Valleys around Both Esteemed/ And admired, And at home both Respected and lovd" The samplermaker, Fanny Goddard, was only 9 years old when she worked this stunning sampler and the sophistication of design and execution would indicate that she was the student of a talented instructress. Fanny may have been the daughter of Richard and Melleness Goddard of the town of Petworth, Sussex, England, whose christening was recorded there on February 25, 1798. The sampler is in very good condition, worked in silk on wool with a number of very small areas of loss to the wool. It has been conservation mounted into an early frame, perhaps original to the sampler.

Sampler size: 16 lfz'' x 12" Price: $3200.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Christine Watson, Dover, New Hampshire, 1818 Samplers worked onto deep green Iinsey-woolsey are especially desirable within the body of American schoolgirl needlework; according to Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, Vol. I, page 112, "A growing preference for samplers worked on a green ground (usually Iinsey-woolsey) became noticeable at the turn of the century. They appeared in Boston as early as 1788, and later throughout New England ... they were especially popular in coastal region from the northern shore of Massachusetts to southern Maine".

Dover, a small town in southern New Hampshire, twelve miles north of Portsmouth, is particularly known for the Iinsey-woolsey samplers created there and Betty Ring includes a section entitled the "Samplers of Dover" on page 237 of the same volume.

We were thrilled to have discovered this outstanding Dover sampler which was worked characteristically in polychrome silks on Iinsey-woolsey. The handsome four-sided border of flower and leaves on a meandering vine enclose alphabets, inscription and the following verse: "Tis education forms th e common mind Just a s the twig is bent the tree's inclin'd" which comes from the "Moral Essays" of Alexander Pope, written in 1731- 1735 . Overall, this is a stunning sampler with enormous visual appeal and a strong family history.

Christine Watson was the daughter of a prosperous farmer and tavern keeper, Nathaniel Watson and his wife Catharine (Heard) Watson, a descendent of Jonathan Watson who settled in Dover by 1672. Nathaniel Watson served in the Revolutionary War and later in life became a commercial investor in the early industry of Dover.

Christine was the youngest of their nine children, never married and lived as an adult in the town of Guilford as well as in Dover with a brother-in-law. She continued her father's real estate investments and was mentioned in various purchases and sales in Dover and nearby Guilford. Christine died October 22, 1891 at age 87.

This sampler was worked in silk onto Iinsey-woolsey with stitches that include eyelet, cross, whip and chain. It has some minor areas of loss to the weft, but is in otherwise excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a black painted and molded frame.

Sampler size: 17 IN' x 12" Price: $12,500.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel (S Daughter.

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Delia Hull, Durham, Connecticut, 1812 Delia Hull was a nine year old girl ("in the tenth year of her age") in 1812 when she worked this endearing sampler with a floral swag above and a lawn and garden scene below. The two line verse, "Labor for learnig (sic) before thou art old/ for learing (sic) is bettet (sic) than silver or gold" would seem to indicate in a most charming fashion that young Delia in fact had more learning yet to do!

Born in 1802 to Joseph and Diana (Chalker) Hull of the town of Durham in southern central Connecticut, Delia was the last of their seven children. On her father's side she descended from George Hull (1590- 1659) who came from Somerset England and settled in Connecticut. Her mother was a lineal descendent of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower. John was a soldier in the Revolutionary War marching from Boston and later lead the first Congressional Church in Durham, southern central Connecticut, where their children were born between 1786 and 1802. The family removed to the Berkshires in 1816 and subsequent generations on the Hulls became quite prominent; the family included Senator John B. Hull of Great Barrington.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, in a later gold frame.

Sampler size: 18" x 15" Price: $3850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Urania Inman, Providence, Rhode Island, 1815 Ten-year-old schoolgirls rarely worked samplers as refined and sophisticated as this example by Urania Inman who was from the town of Smithfield, just outside of Providence, Rhode Island. As noted scholar Betty Ring has observed (see Let Virtue Be a Guide to Thee, 1983, The Magazine Antiques, "The Balch School in Providence, Rhode Island", April1975 and Volume I of Girlhood Embroidery, "Needlework of Rhode Island") some of the very finest of all American schoolmistresses were at work in Rhode Island in the 18th and early 19th centuries and it is clear that Urania Inman's parents availed her of this talent.

This small sampler presents extremely delicate needlework forming a stunning band of grape bunches and leaves on vine, two horns-of-plenty, a small blue bird and various flowers. The alphabets are so finely worked that they seem ethereal upon close examination. The sampler is initialed "UI" and survived on its original paper on which was further recorded, "Wrought by Urania Inman 1815"; this paper has been preserved and is mounted on the reverse of the frame (see below for inscription).

A charming oval watercolor silhouette of Urania's mother, inscribed "Abigail Inman 1833", descended with the sampler, and along with a file of genealogical documentation, it will remain with the sampler.

Urania Inman was born on June 16, 1805, the second among the nine children of Daniel and Abigail (Mowry) Inman of Smithfield and Gloucester, Rhode Island. The Inman family had been early settlers in Rhode Island and Edward Inman (seven generations earlier) was born about 1595 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island. Urania's mother, Abigail Mowry, had been born in 1780, the daughter of Dr. Jonathan Mowry of Smithfield Gloucester, Rhode Island. Urania married Benjamin Wheeler as his second wife on June 3, 1847 and died March 8, 1888.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a splendid early 19th century mahogany frame with rosette corner blocks.

Sampler size: 6 1lz" X 8 1lz"

Price: $5200.

AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

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Jerusha Fowler, Pembroke, New Hampshire, 1807

Pembroke, New Hampshire was a small town in Merrimack County, sixty miles northwest of Boston, with a population of 956 inhabitants in 1795. It was here that one branch of the Fowler family lived at the end of the 18th century having descended from Philip Fowler who emigrated from England in 1634 on the Mary and John. Philip's great, great, great grandson Benjamin Fowler married Mehitable Ladd, also of Pembroke, on January 15, 1795, and their daughter Jerusha, the first of their eleven children, was born June 24, 1795 according to the History of Pembroke, New Hampshire 1730-1895, published in 1895. Jerusha worked this sampler when she was 12 years old and married Chandler Lovejoy Hutchinson on April20, 1820. They resided further north along the Suncook River in the nearby town of Chichester, New Hampshire where their six children were born between 1821 and 1835, and Jerusha died on July 28, 1882.

This endearing sampler is a fine example of the schoolgirl needlework at the beginning of the 19th century from the small towns flourishing throughout New England. Jerusha would have been taught a number of different stitches and techniques including the satin stitch, eyelet stitch, cross stitch and drawn work; it is quite possible that the initials "HF", which were worked at the end of the numerical progression, were those of her teacher. The inscription below is a likely indication that Jerusha's education up until that point had been somewhat provincial.

Worked in silk onto linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a molded walnut frame.

Sampler size: 12" x 12" Price: $2850.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

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Fanny C. Gridley, Granby, Massachusetts, 1821 We are proud to offer this outstanding sampler, which has enormous visual appeal and is accompanied by a wealth of information. The future samplermaker, Fanny C. Gridley, was born in Granby, a small town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, which was founded in 1768.

Her parents were the Rev. Elijah and Ruth (White) Gridley; the Rev. Elijah was a prominent pastor and leader of the Congregational Church in Granby. He was also a founder and trustee of the Amherst Academy, a co-educational school which opened in 1814 in Amherst, just north of Granby, and remained open to young women only for the first decade of its existence; it is extremely probable that this splendid sampler was worked at the Academy.

The lower half of this sampler abounds with unusual and meticulously-worked images; there are two sailing ships, six flower baskets, an eagle surrounded by stars, bird-filled trees, a house, a church, and two tethered dogs. A verse from the poetry of William Robert Spencer (1770-1834), an erudite English literary figure, also features prominently.

(detail) The handsome church worked in the lower right corner of the sampler is of specific interest to us in that it is an accurate portrayal of the impressive new church built for Rev. Elijah Gridley and his congregation in Granby in 1820, at a site called Cook's Hill, well documented in a book entitled Granby Bicentennial 1768-1968 (see insert). It is indeed rare for a piece of needlework to survive with such provenance.

The sampler, which is in excellent condition, has been conservation mounted and is in striped maple frame.

Sampler size: 16 W' x 16" Price: $13,500.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

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L. D. C., Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 1784

Dutch samplermaking at its best offers extremely fine needlework and a fascinating array of classic motifs; this sampler offers excellence in both areas. According to noted Dutch needlework expert, M.G.A. Schipper van Lottum, the large variety of documented images that were worked onto 17th and 18th century samplers come from European emblemata books that were published in the period; patterns took their inspiration from biblical stories, Christian symbols and motifs from everyday life. Those worked onto this sampler include the recumbent deer, sword-wielding lion, Free Maiden, Spies of Canaan, rooster, peacock, marriage couple, windmill, ship, and caged birds amongst many others, all of which have precedents in published examples of the 18th century Dutch samplers. At the upper left appears the crest of the city of Rotterdam and the samplermaker identified herself with her initials within two wreaths, near the center and along the right side. We rarely come across a sampler that presents such a remarkable assortment of faultlessly rendered pictorial images.

The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a fine painted and molded frame.

Sampler size: 17" x 22" Price: $7800.

M. Finkel e:1 Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

31

Electa Fox, Wallingford, Vermont, 1823

(detail)

or Prnlnlf So"t"'row anx.iou.s C4.Y'4t

This important Veront~~tnt w1u #'l-It• Y'4rli•f' mont sampler is inscribed "Electa Fox Aged 11 Wallingford June 21 1823" and included an unusual depiction of a townscape, reflecting no doubt the stately houses and a church from the town of Wallingford. The samplermaker utilized an interesting cut-corner layout, which encloses the alphabets, inscriptions and verse and is echoed in the stylized floral border. The needlework is extremely fine with much attention paid to details.

Vermont samplers exist in substantially fewer numbers than those worked in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Indeed, Glee Krueger, in New England Samplers to 1840, documents only three Vermont schools that advertised samplermaking, as compared to fifty-five from New Hampshire. A comprehensive exhibition at the Bennington Museum in 1997 entitled "The First Effort of My Infant Hand: Early Vermont Samplers" included only 22 examples.

Wallingford, in Rutland County, southern Vermont, on Otter Creek and was considered a particularly pleasant town with handsome buildings and picturesque scenery. Electa Fox was born there on December 11, 1812 to William and Sarah (Ives) Fox who had been married in Wallingford in 1806. William Fox, a prominent citizen and business man, became interested in the possibilities in the western United States and by 1827 the family removed to western New York state and by the 1840's removed to Iowa.

Electa's sampler combines outstanding visual appeal and workmanship with rarity and provenance and we are privileged to be able to offer this piece. Worked in silk on linen it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a black painted and molded frame.

Sampler size: 17" x 15 W' Price: $11,500.

AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

Conservation Mounting Of Antique Samplers and Needlework Because of the important role that condition plays in the field of antique samplers and needlework, we strive to insure that these pieces undergo proper preservation while in our care. Below is a step-bystep description of the "conservation mounting" process. Our techniques are simple and straightforward; we remove the dust and dirt particles mechanically, never wet-cleaning the textiles. We use only acid-free materials and museum-approved techniques throughout the process. Please call us if you have any questions in this regard.

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Carefully clean the piece using our special vacuum process.

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Mount it by means of hand-sewing onto acid-free museum board that has been slip-cased with fabric appropriate to the piece itself, and at the same time stabilize any holes or weak areas.

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Refit the item back into its original frame, or custom-make a reproduction of an 18th or early 19th century frame using one of our exclusive patterns.

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Supply a reverse painted black glass mat, if appropriate, done in correct antique manner.

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When necessary, install true VueÂŽ Conservation Clear glass which blocks 97% of the harmful Ultra-violet light.

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In the framing process, the needlework is properly spaced away from the glass, the wooden frame is sealed, and the dust cover is attached with special archival tape.

M. Finkel e;J Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

SELECTED NEEDLEWORK BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Gloria Seaman. Family Record Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework.

Washington, DC: DAR Museum, 1989.

Bolton, Ethel Stanwood and Coe, Eve Johnston. American Samplers.

Boston: The Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1921.

Brooke, Xanthe. Catalogue of Embroideries.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery. Alan Sutton Publishing Inc., 1992 Edmonds, Mary Jaene. Samplers and Samplermakers, An American Schoolgirl Art 1700-1850.

New York: Rizzoli, 1991.

Epstein, Kathy. An Anonymous Woman Her Work Wrought In The 17th Century.

Curious Work Press, 1992.

British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century.

Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1998.

Herr, Patricia T. The Ornamental Branches, Needlework and Art from the Lititz Moravian Girls' School Between 1800 and 1865.

The Heritage Center Museum of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1996.

Hersh, Tandy and Charles. Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans.

Birdsboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1991 Humphrey, Carol. Samplers, Fitzwilliam Museum Handbooks.

Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997. lvey, Kimberly Smith. In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition.

Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1997 Krueger, Glee FA Gallery of American Samplers: The Theodore H Kapnek Collection.

New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978.

New England Samplers to 1840 Sturbridge, Mass.: Old Sturbridge Village, 1978.

Ring, Betty. American Needlework Treasures.

New York: E.P. Dutton, 1987.

Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850.

Knopf, 1993.

Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1820.

Providence: The Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983.

Schiffer, Margaret B. Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania.

New York. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968.

Schorsch, Anita. Mourning Becomes America: Mourning Art in the New Nation.

Clinton, New Jersey: The Main Street Press, 1976.

Studebaker, Sue. Ohio Samplers, School Girl Embroideries 1803-1850.

Warren County Historical Society, 1988.

Swan, Susan B. A Winterthur Guide to American Needlework.

New York: Crown Publishers, 1976.

Plain and Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.