Samplings: XX

VOLUME XX

A SELECTED OFFERING OF ANTIQUE SAMPLERS A

D

est. 1947

M. Finkel ~ Daughter.

AMERICA' S LEADING ANTIQUE SAMPLER & NEEDLEWORK DEALER

936 Pine Street. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. 19107-6128 215-627-7797 . 800-598-7432. fax 215-627-8199

Please visit our website: www.samplings.com and see us at the following Antiques Shows:

The American Antiques Show to benefit the American Folk Art Museum preview Wed., Jan. 16, 2002 Jan. 17-20 at the Metropolitan Pavilion 125 W. 18th St., NYC

Winnetka Antiques Show preview Thurs., February 28, 2002 March 1-3, 2002 Winnetka Community House 620 Lincoln Ave. Winnetka, IL

The Philadelphia Antiques Show preview Wed., April 5, 2002 April 6-10, 2002 33rd Street Armory

Cover Illustration: detail of sampler by Louisa Wainwright, page 1 Copyright Š 2001 by M Finkel & Daughter, Inc All rights reserved ~o 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 ~1 Finkel & Daughter, Inc Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This represents the lOth year and the 20th edition of our catalogue of antique samplers. We thank our clients and friends for their continued and growing interest in this publication.

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 provides 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 methods and encourage you to call us with any questions in this area.

In the year 2002, we will mark the 55th year anniversary of the founding of our firm. We continue to value our positive relationship with clients, many of whom are now second generation, and strive to maintain 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 suggest that you to contact us in a timely fashion if one or more of our samplers is of interest to you. Should your choice be unavailable, we suggest that you 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 to locate the sampler that you are looking for; you will find us knowledgable 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 a five day return privilege. Expert packing is included: shipping and insurance cost 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 Mary Mills mailbox@samplings.com 800-598-7432

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.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS Maria Ackroyd, age 9, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, 1835 ..................................................page Betsy Bown, English, 1827 .................................................................................................... page Maria Buck, age 9, Pennsylvania, 1830 .................................................................................. page Buttonhole samplers, probably English, early 19th century ................................................ page Margaret Carr, Holiday Wishes on punched paper, 1874 ...................................................... page Catherine Louisa Cornell, age 10, Philadelphia, 1820 .......................................................... page Jane Darlington, East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pa, circa 1816-17 .................. page Dutch Sampler, 1786 .............................................................................................................. page Sarah Edwards, English, dated June 22, 1831 ...................................................................... page

27 16 14 13 28 4 18 22 28

EM, American or English, 1815 ............................................................................................ page Mary Emerson, Adam & Eve sampler, England, 1805 .......................................................... page Sally Emery, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1807 ........................................................................ page Ann Ewan, Burlington County, NJ, Near Mount Holly Seminary, 1835 .............................. page Sylvia Fales, Wrentham, Massachusetts, 1807 ...................................................................... page Mary Gill, Wilmington Boarding School, Delaware, 1814 .................................................... page

22 32 20 21 32 23

Sarah L Gross, age 8, Pennsylvania, 1816 .............................................. .............................. page Ann Johnson, England, 1810 .................................................................................................. page Mary Harris, Swedesboro,Gloucester Co, NJ, 1815 .............................................................. page Matilda Kissel and Sophia Hambright, Kissel Hill, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, circa 1844 ........................................................ .................. ...................... ........ page Margaret Trotter Lush, Albany Female Academy, New York State, 1830 ............................ page Lydia Ann Manning, Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1822 ........................................................ page Eliza Mitchell, England, 1823 .............................................................. :................................. page Eliza Mitchell, age 10, England, 1846 .................................................................................. page Elizabeth Jane Morris, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1845 .................................................. page Needlework Portraits with Beadwork, England, circa 1660-80 ............................................ page Martha Owen, Pennsylvania, 1835 ........................................................................................page Ann Page, Aycliffe School, England, 1787 ............................................................................ page Fanny Peck, Queen's Stitch pocketbook, probably Connecticut, 1818 ................................ page Potholder, ND, American, third quarter 18th century .......................................................... page

10 30 12 9 6 31 5 8 29 25 17 30 33 24

Elizabeth Rhoads pocketbook, Chester County, Pennsylvania, circa 1770 .......................... page 26 Nancy Smith, aged 11 years, American, probably New England, 1840 ................................ page 27 Jane Soper, An Elegy to Queen Anne, England, 1735 ............................. ............................. page 11 Esther S Sprague, age 9, Greenville, Rhode Island, 1823 .................................................... page Stanwood Family Silk Embroidered Memorial, Mass or NY, circa 1805 .............................. page Lois H Stevens, New Durham, New Hampshire, 183l.. .................... ................... ................. page Jain Steward, Philadelphia, 1798 ............................................................. ............................. page Elmi T, France, 1848 ...................................................................................... .. ...................... page Louisa Wainwright, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 1809 ....................... ......................... page Barbara Worst, Pennsylvania German, 1808 ......................................................... ... ............page

M.Finkel e':) Daughter.

AMERICA ' s LEADING s .-D IPLER .-\ ¡ D

~EEDLEWORK

3 7 10 2 14 1 5

DEALER

Louisa Wainwright, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 1809

Very occasionally we come across a sampler of a highly unusual and exceptional nature and we are privileged to be able to offer this fascinating example. Worked by an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Louisa Wainwright of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, this sampler is a testimonial to the talents of a highly sophisticated schoolmistress who was teaching in this small Berkshire County town, designing samplers with an extraordinary aesthetic and employing techniques that are almost without comparison.

TWo other samplers, dated 1807 and 1808, are known to have been worked under this same schoolmistress. Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, vol. I, figure 17 and Glee Krueger in New England Samplers to 1840, figure 65, published these two examples, which both share with our sampler an outstanding border worked with fine embroidery and couched metallic threads. All three samplers feature tiny stitched aphorisms or cautionary phrases, such as "Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth" and "Virtue a wreath of amaranthine flowers will twine thy name in praise," within banner-like enclosures. The interior of Louisa's sampler is solidly stitched so that all of the background linen behind the alphabets and inscription is covered with needlework.

Louisa Wainwright was the daughter of David and Ruby (Younglove) Wainwright who were married in Great Barrington on February 19, 1776. David Wainwright was a prominent citizen of the town, a selectman and leader of the Episcopal church. Repeated mention of the family appears in History of Great Barrington 1676-1882, published in 1928. Louisa, one of the twelve Wainwright children, was born in 1798; on February 9, 1825 she married Sidney Horton in Great Barrington and she died in 1875.

The sampler was worked in silk and metallic thread on silk and linen and remains in excellent condition.

It has been conservation mounted and is in a black painted and molded frame.

See cover for image of entire sampler

Sampler size: 14lfz'' x llW'

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Price upon request

M.Finkel eg Daughter.

1

2 Jain Steward, Philadelphia, 1798 Some of the most extraordinary groups of schoolgirl samplers were worked in Philadelphia in the 18th century where teachers continued the very high standards brought over from England earlier in the century. The long, narrow format with balanced horizontal bands of designs and varying narrow borders is evidence of the origin of this sampler but it is another more unusual feature which leaves no doubt as to its Philadelphia origins.

An enduring pattern seems to have been developed in Philadelphia as early as the 1730's and was continued until the early 19th century: that of working the first letter of each word with a contrasting colored floss. We have long noticed this to be the case and find it to be consistent with many published examples of fine early work of samplerrnakers from this city. We are pleased to offer this fine piece worked in 1798, another excellent example of this style of Philadelphia sampler.

Jain (an early spelling of "Jane") Steward accomplished her needlework with extraordinary delicacy. The linen is so fine as to be almost gauze and her silk stitches seem to float gracefully on top. The potted flowers, stylized plants and, of course, pairs of birds were all worked with great skill.

Jain's sampler has to be considered a wonderful rarity today, as 18th century samplers have become more and more scarce. It is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a molded cherry frame.

Sampler size: 18" x 8314'' Price: $8400.

M. Finkel & Daughter.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

3 Esther S. Sprague, age 9, Greenville, Rhode Island, 1823 Esther Smith Sprague was only nine years old when she made this splendid sampler, which would have been considered an impressive accomplishment for a samplermaker of any age. The fine naturalistic border includes many open blossom flowers and the alphabets and verse are carefully executed. Esther's needlework indicates a substantial level of skill.

Born in Greenville, R.I. on January 29, 1814, Esther was the first of five children born to Nathan Brown Sprague and Sarah Smith Sprague. Nathan was a prominent banker, statesman and citizen of the town, which is 8 miles northwest of Providence. The History of the Town of Smithfield published in Providence in 1881 indicates that Nathan was amongst the small group of men who founded the Greene Academy in 1812 and served as a Trustee of the school. If this school educated girls as well as boys, it is probable that Esther was a student there in 1823.

Esther 1s sampler stands as a tribute to her education and aptitude; it is a handsomely designed and beautifully executed piece. Worked in silk on linen and in excellent condition, it has been conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 16lfz'' x 17"

Price: $6800.

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

4

Catharine Louisa Cornell, age 10, Philadelphia, 1820 The maker of this outstanding sampler was Catharine Louisa Cornell, a young lady from a highly distinguished American family. Born on October 18, 1810 she was the seventh of the twelve children born to the Reverend John Cornell and Maria Frelinghuysen Cornell who resided in Somerset County, New Jersey, where Rev. Cornell was a pastor and leader of the Presbyterian Church.

Her grandfather, General Frederick Frelinghuysen (1753-1804) was an early graduate and tutor of Princeton University, a highly respected colonel in the battles of Trenton, Princeton and Monmouth, New Jersey, a delegate to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, and a United States senator from 1793-96. He was considered amongst the most supportive of Revolutionary patriots and, upon the death of Gen. George Washington, delivered his eulogy in New Brunswick. Catharine's mother was also distinguished and is noted for having founded one of the earliest American temperance organizations.

The samplermaker must have attended a boarding school in Philadelphia where she worked this sampler in 1820 when she was ten years old. It belongs to an important body of late 18th and early 19th century schoolgirl work produced in that city, exhibiting the overall design as well as many highly characteristic details of this group. Betty Ring in volume II of Girlhood Embroidery discusses this group in her section entitled Philadelphia in the Federal Period, Samplers with Mansions and Terraced Gardens (volume II, pages 361 - 369) and illustrates similar examples.

M. Finkel & Daughter.

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

5 Catharine Louisa Cornell, age 10, Philadelphia, 1820 (cont.)

Our Cornell sampler includes a stately two chimney federal house flanked by six pine trees set on a richly colored lawn. This tepped-terrace lawn is packed with an abundance of animals, birds, potted flowers and plants arranged in a balanced fashion. Sawtooth inner borders provide a delicate delineation and the many queen's-stitched elements contribute further to the texture. Additionally, flowers, birds, and baskets decorate the rest of the sampler and they are all surrounded by a handsome border, which clearly echoes the design of the many borders found on Philadelphia samplers from 1750 to 1800. The initials "MGT" are likely those of the teacher and it is hoped that further research will reveal information regarding her identity.

Catharine Louisa Cornell, "in her l Oth year," created a very impressive sampler, which attests to her superior education as well as her own aptitude as a needleworker. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a black painted and molded frame.

Price upon request

Sampler size: 12W' x 163/4''

Barbara Worst, Pennsylvania German, Lancaster Co., 1808 The Pennsylvania Germans of Lancaster County produced a distinctive group of samplers well represented by this handsome example by Barbara Worst, dated 1808. These samplers, with cross-stitched letters and spare elements floating on tightly woven linen, tend to be monochromatic and less decorative than other types of school girl samplers. Tandy Hersh has written extensively about the needlework of this group in Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans and This is the Way I Pass My Time.

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Barbara Worst was most likely one of the six children of Peter and Barbara (Weaver) Worst who moved to Lancaster County in 1785. Her sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition with some slight wear and darkening to the linen. It has been conservation mounted into a black molded and painted frame.

Sampler size: 11 W' square

Price: $1900.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

6

Margaret Trotter Lush, Albany Female Academy, Albany, N.Y., 1830

Between the years of 1810 and 1840 a great many seminaries and academies were founded in American towns and cities up and down the east coast as well as out west. These schools met a real demand, educating the sons and daughters of the growing population of this country; some of these schools eventually became the fine private and boarding schools that we know today.

Margaret Trotter Lush, the maker of this handsome meticulously worked sampler, attended the Albany Female Academy which was founded in 1814 and remains today a thriving all-girls school, the oldest American all-girls school in continuous existence. An 1894 publication entitled Historical Sketch of the Albany Female Academy Founded AD 1814 notes that in 1835 "the closing examinations were brightened by a collection of fancy articles of needlework submitted to a committee of ladies." We are pleased to offer such an example.

Margaret was born to William and Margaret (Trotter) Lush and was christene in 1 19 at the First Dutch Reformed Church of Albany. She was from a prominent fami ly: her paternal e~randfather Stephen Lush was a noted lawyer, early graduate of Columbia College and Revolutionary War o路-cer. In 1838 Margaret married Teunis Van Vechten whose Dutch American forbears had been in_ 路e ,. York state as early as the mid 17th century. His father was mayor of Albany in 1837 and 1 . an a Ia \)路er who served as counsel to General Stephen Van Renssalaer. Coincidentally, he was a rus ee o 路the Albany Female Academy when it was incorporated in 1821. Margaret and Teunis had three e1 er who were born in Albany between 1839 and 1845.

Margaret's sampler with its stately design and careful execution clearly indicate e .:e o her education. Alphabets fill the upper half of the sampler with the date "1830 an name, "M T Lush," worked as line-end elements. Worked in silk on linen, excellen tion mounted into its original cherry frame.

Sampler size: 14lf2'' x 161/."

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Stanwood Family Silk Embroidered New York, circa 1805

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The death of George \\'ashington in December of 1799 sparked a national vogue for public mourning that endured for decade . In keeping with this, young ladies attending schools, academies and seminaries worked stylish silk embroidered and watercolored pictures dedicated to departed family members.

After they were framed with black and gold eglomise mats and fine gold leaf frames, they were hung in parlours as proof of the young ladies' education and the families' fashionably proper attitude.

This handsome example is dedicated to the memory of several members of the family of Captain Lemuel Stanwood of Gloucester, Massachusetts and New York, New York. Born in 1771, Capt. Stanwood distinguished himself when still a young man for his bravery on the seas as his ship, Brig Chatham, was accosted by French privateers. He was a member of the New York Marine Society and the Independent Royal Arch Lodge of Masons. The early deaths of Captain Stanwood, in 1801, and his wife Janet Lamb, in 1802, along with some of their children are recorded on this silk embroidery. A surviving daughter or perhaps a niece was the likely needleworker and the two children depicted are probably specific family members.

In 1899, family member Ethel Stanwood Bolton wrote A History of the Stanwood Family in America which included much information about this branch of the family. Interestingly, the author went on in 1921 to write (with Eva Johnston Coe) the groundbreaking book, American Samplers, a comprehensive survey of American samplers organized by the Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America.

Worked in silk and watercolor on silk, the Stanwood family embroidery is in excellent condition with a later eglomise mat and gold leaf frame.

Sight size: 12" x 18"

Overall size: 171fz'' x 231fz''

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Price: $12,000.

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

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Eliza Mitchell, age 10, England, 1846 This large, handsome sampler is a most ambitious and impressive demonstration of the talents of its ten-year-old maker, Eliza Mitchell. While many English schoolgirls worked samplers featuring a manor house on a lawn, meticulous verse, and assorted flora and fauna, few succeeded in producing a work of this grand scale.

The attention to detail is evident throughout but particularly in the boldly designed house with its mullioned windows, four chimneys, and slate-blue roof. Exotic trees, decorative butterflies, baskets of fruits and flowers, and a flock of sheep provide further interest. The biblical verse from the Book of Proverbs was aptly chosen as it suggests the values held up as models for young students: "Get Wisdom And With All Thy Getting Get Understanding."

Eliza Mitchell's sampler was worked in wool and silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a fine bird's eye maple frame.

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Sampler size: 23" square

M.Finkel

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Price: $7200.

See back cover for detail

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEED LEWORK DEA LER

Samplers by .latilda Kissel and Sophia Hambright, Kissel Hill, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, circa 1844

Size of the Kissel sampler: 12W' x 16" Size of the Hambright sampler: 11 W' x 17" Price for the pair: $ 6400.

One of the distinct advantages of the field of American schoolgirl samplers is the possibility to learn specific information about the maker of a given piece. In a rare instance, the relationship between two samplermakers may be discernable and such is the case with these two Lancaster County needleworks.

Visually, these samplers show a clear relationship to one another based on their shared designs and charming motifs; genealogical research reveals another more interesting connection.

Matilda Kissel and Sophia Hambright were of Pennsylvania German ancestry, born within two years of each other in the village of Kissel Hill in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is obvious from their samplers that they were classmates and likely that they were friends. In later years they were to become sisters-in-law when Matilda married Addison Hambright, a brother of Sophia. The families remained in Lancaster County and the two samplers descended together for these many years. It is a pleasure to offer these two samplers, which compliment each other aesthetically while providing an interesting and unusually complete family picture.

They were worked in wool on linen and remain in very good condition. Matilda's sampler has some slight loss to the wool and one tiny area of loss to the linen. Both have been conservation mounted and are in beveled cherry and maple.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

9

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Sarah L. Gross, age 8, Pennsylvania, 1816 This is an unusually endearing example of one of the many marking samplers that were made by young schoolgirls in the first decades of the 19th century. After stitching three carefully worked alphabets and a numerical progression, the samplermaker inscribed on her needlework that she was 11 born February th 23, 1808. 11 A sprig of chain stitched blossoms and leaves on vine further decorate the sampler and it is all surrounded by a little satin stitched sawtooth border.

Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a mid 19th century beveled bird's eye maple frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 8114'' x 811 Price: $1300.

Lois H. Stevens, New Durham, New Hampshire, 1831 New Durham is a small town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, 30 miles northeast of Concord and it is the origin of this marking sampler worked by Lois H. Stevens in 1831. Lois was the daughter of Deacon Durrell and Mary (Wingate). Her marriage to James Canney was recorded in New Durham on September 26, 1832 and their daughter, Elvira Jane Canney, was born there in 1834. Lois Stevens Canney died in New Durham in 1840.

Her sampler includes alphabets and numerical progressions worked in shades of blue and beige and she included the aphorism, 11 Let Virtue be a guide to the [sic], 11 which echoed a sentiment popular in the period. The date of September 1831 appears in the upper left and the letters which form her first name make use of the archaic, long form of the letter 11 S11 which was still in common use in the early 19th century. The sampler was carefully designed and executed in silk on linen and remains in very good condition; it has been conservation mounted into a beveled bird's-eye maple frame.

Sampler size: lOW' x 15 1/4'' Price: $1850.

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Jane Soper, An Elegy to Queen Anne, England, 1735

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Commemorative samplers are a particularly interesting type of English schoolgirl exercise. Most were worked in memory of a beloved public figure between the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 19th century; they generally feature copious letter-perfect inscriptions that recorded famous elegies of their day or epitaphs recorded from gravestone inscriptions. This outstanding sampler, worked 21 years after the death of Queen Anne, is signed, "Jane Soper The Daughter of John And Elizabeth Soper Worked This Elegy In The Year 1735."

It begins with the inscription: "An Elegy On The Never Enough To Be Lamented Death Of Our Late Gra-

cious Soveraingn Lady Anne Queen Of Great Britain France And Ireland Who Departed This Life At Her Royal Palace Of Kinsington The First Day Of August 1714 In The 49Th Year Of Her Age And The 13 Of Her Reing" and proceeds with a wonderfully lengthy description of her life and death.

Most of the lettering was worked in a light beige thread on light beige linen rendering this an even more impressive accomplishment. The sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century English oak frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 15" x 171/z"

Price: $7800.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

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Mary HarrisJ.. under the instruction of Mary Rambo, Swedesboro, Gloucester t;ounty, New Jersey, 1815

The early towns of southern New Jersey were populated by families from varied cultures and backgrounds and we find this praiseworthy sampler to be a fascinating combination of these influences. It was made by Mary Harris who was fourteen years old in 1 15, and living in the Gloucester County town of Swedesboro, which is on the Raccoon Creek 11 miles southwest of Woodbury.

The narrative of Mary's family is told through the li ting of the many family names on this sampler.

She was the daughter of Lettice (spelled "Letis on the ampler) Rambo and Noah Harris, who were married in 1797 at the Old Swedes Church in we esboro. The Harris family was of English descent and the Rambo family was one of the oldest Swedi h fami lie in ew Jersey, settling there in 1640. Their other children were Gideon, Jonas, Martha, Mary. Epicaru and Benjamin, as listed on the sampler.

Noah died in 1807 and Lettice married William Eastla k Eslack") . The names of Mary's half siblings, Lettice and Rebecca Eastlack also appear on the ampler. . lary credits her aunt, forty year old Mary Rambo and sister of Lettice, as her teacher.

M. Finkel es Daughter.

AMERICA

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Mary Harris. under the instruction of lary Rambo, Swedesboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1815 (cont.)

Of particular intere t i the fact the sampler exhibits man) highly distinctive Quaker characteristics which were beginning to become popular in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey during the early years of the 19th century. These motifs are a veritable catalogue of Quaker designs and include the pairs of birds, sprig of lily, rose and carnation and baskets as well as the octagonal surround to the maker's name and date and the geometric half medallion along the right side. The depiction of the house with its walkway and hvo boldly designed pine trees leads us to assume that she used the family home as her model. The deep green lawn contains birds and flowers as well as the unusual inscription of the name "Abigail Harris " probably the younger sister of her father. We are very pleased to be able to offer this wonderfully appealing and most interesting sampler, which is accompanied by copies of many Harris and Rambo family documents and publications.

The sampler is worked in silk onto fine linen gauze and is in very good condition with some very minor areas of loss. It has been conservation mounted and is in a black molded and painted frame.

Sampler size: 16W' x 16"

Price: $9400.

Pair of Buttonhole samplers, probably English, early 19th century

Amongst the "plain" or practical sewing techniques taught to needleworkers, the making of buttonholes stands out as one of the most interesting. Samplers that demonstrate proficiency in this regard surface occasionally; they are generally miniature in size with several precisely rendered buttonholes that vary in their color and placement.

The known examples of buttonhole samplers are not signed or dated and may have been part of a school project or presentation. An example similar to our pair is owned by the City of Bristol Museum and illustrated in their catalogue entitled "Samplers" as part of figure 178.

Worked in silk on linen, they are in excellent condition, conservation mounted into burl frames.

Size of each sampler: approximately 4" square

Price for the pair: $1500.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

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Elmi T., France, 1848 This endearing little sampler with its assorted pictorial elements is signed "Fait par Elmi T. agee de ans 1848," indicating that it was made by Elmi T. when she was 8 years old. A decorated center urn of flowers and four shapely evergreen trees provide an appealing structure to the bottom portion of the sampler. Worked in silk on linen, it is in very good condition with some slight wear and has been conservation mounted into a burl frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 8" x 9W'

Price:$950.

Maria Buck, age 9, Pennsylvania, 1830 Marking samplers were made by young girls as a first step in their education within the needle arts and they hold a special appeal. This basic skill would be put to practical use in the home as household linens and clothing needed to be marked with initials and numbers.

Maria Buck, age 9 in 1830, worked this handsome example using for her first alphabet the Roman block letters which are identified with Quaker sampler design. Interestingly, Maria's teacher then assigned the vowels to be listed in the same fashion. The sampler is worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 17" x 7IH'

Price: $1450.

EEDLEWO RK DEALER

15

Eliza Mitchell. England, 1823

(detail) Eliza Mitchell, when she was 13 years old in 1823, created a sampler in which the plethora of activity commands attention. Many detailed scenes, some of them likely to have been quite personal, are organized on layered tiers and the effect is certainly handsome. The central event depicted is that of a "farrier," or one who shoes horses: a large tethered horse awaits his turn in the barn attached to the brick house while a customer leads another horse towards the path. The lower level depicts three delightful little vignettes, including that of a man and his beast crossing an arched bridge with water below. Men, women, dogs, butterflies and many flocks of birds animate the scenes and the soldiers guarding the castle above hold long rifles and sport military costume.

Samplermakers rarely lavish as much attention onto one sampler as did Eliza Mitchell; we are pleased to offer her work. Silk on wool in excellent condition with some very tiny areas of loss. Conservation mounted into a maple frame with a gilt liner.

Sampler size: 16 lf/' x 12 lfz'' Price: $8200.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

16

Betsy Bown, English, 1827 The Old Testament story from the Book of Ruth is the subject of this beautifully worked pictorial sampler by Betsy Bown, dated December 20th 1827.

Ruth, wearing in this instance clothing that reflects the fashion of the early 19th century, is gathering ears of com in her apron. She was sent to glean in the fields of the wealthy Boaz, whom she later married. A Biblical quotation provides the caption for the scene.

Bible stories were popular with teachers and schoolgirls in England and the United States.

While the tale of Ruth and Boaz appears with frequency on silk embroidered pictures, we have actually never known it to have been worked on a sampler prior to our discovery of this example.

An assortment of

tightly worked stitches was used by the samplermaker who was able to produce a wonderfully saturated effect; details such as the tiny church in the background and the miniature cottage scene provide further appeal. It is all surrounded by a handsome border of strawberries worked in several shades of pink and rose. Worked in silk and wool on linen, it has been conservation mounted and is in excellent condition with minor area darkening and loss to the linen. It is now in a beveled bird's-eye maple frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 17" x 13"

Price: $4800.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMER icA ¡

LL\DI:\G sA MPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

17

Martha Owen. Pennsylvania, 1835 Pennsylvania samplennaking in the 1830's and 40's include e tradition of working a still life basket of flowers or fruit. Generally using richly colored wool in a free-form design, these examples frequently possess a dramatic quality that closely resembles folk painting of the mid 19th century. This needleworked picture, signed by Martha Owen and dated 1835, comes from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and is one of the finest examples of this form that we have seen in many years. Blossoms on thick stems and buds on ropy tendrils explode from a two-handled basket as silk and wool combine to produce fine detail and impasto-like texture. The hillock, formed with two shades of green, anchors the design while providing further richness, adding to this most appealing picture.

Worked in silk and wool on linen, it is in excellent condition with very slight discoloration to the linen at the lower left and slight loss to the wool. It has been conservation mounted into a bird's eye maple frame.

Sampler size: 15W' x 20"

Price: $8500.

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

18

Jane Darlington, East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pa., circa 1816-17

This finely wrought sampler was worked in Chester County, Pennsylvania and is part of a significant group of highly desirable samplers that has been well researched and published. Examples of this school surface only rarely and we are very pleased to offer this recently discovered piece.

The Darlington family sampler includes many of the distinguishing characteristics of this group: the feathery willow trees on hillocks, large two handled flower pot with heart decoration, open-blossomed flowers worked in crinkled silk and listings of relatives by ca egory. Interesting to note is the fact that the names of deceased relatives were worked in black threa . a u tom common to Chester County throughout the first quarter of the 19th century. The needlework i accomplished on almost impossibly fine linen gauze, another characteristic of this school. lore information regarding this group of samplers can be found in Betty Ring's Girlhood Embroidery. \'ol. II..-<lure 440.

The Darlington family lived in East Bradford Township an e_ e e from Abraham Darlington, who was born in 1690 and came to America as a young appren · e • 1er in the early years of the 18th • 22 miles west of Philadelphia. A century. He joined the Society of Friends and settled in Birmi <1 copy of the book, Darlington Family Record 1580-1900 y Gil rt Co e. ac ompanies this sampler as well as a file of further documentation, which allows us to i e..,-· ·_. -~ aker of this sampler as Jane " :er": arents, Edward and HanDarlington. Recorded on the sampler are the names of the nah (Townsend) Darlington, and her grandparents, Thomas an lli...'"' " B · on) Darlington and John and Joanna (England) Townsend. The column listing ' Si ter '"' ... B - r:. ·arne "includes William, Thomas, Ziba, Sarah, Samuel, and Edward. Jane Darlington .· ....: · - _- and died quite young in 1817; it must be assumed that she worked the sampler towar - • e - o: er life. Jane's brother Edward inherited this sampler and it descended through hi fam · . : rations.

Jane Darlington Chester County, Pa. 1 16-1817 (cont.)

Jane's sampler wa worked in silk on fine linen and is in ex cl en ondition with two very minor areas

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loW

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of loss to the linen. It has been conservation mounted and is in an outstanding mahogany frame with corner block rosettes.

Sampler size: 21W' x 19W'

Price: $11,000.

AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel & Daughter.

20

Sally Emery, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1807 A fascinating and cohesive group of highly appealing samplers worked in the Essex County town of Haverhill, Massachusetts has long been the focus of scholars and authors. Betty Ring, in her two-volume Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850 incl udes a section entitled Samplers of Haverhill (vol. I, pages 124-129) in which she documents the splendid samplers that were worked under the instruction of Haverhill schoolteacher Miss Anne Parker between 1801 and 1810, and we are pleased to offer this praiseworthy example of this group.

This sampler is signed "Sally Emery Haverhill Mass. ag'd 10 years 1807" and includes a characteristic pair of low, checkerboard baskets with open-blossomed flowers and large two-toned trailing leaves that are found on other samplers from the school. Additionally, the highly geometric border and alphabets worked in various stitches indicate the high level of proficiency in this collaboration between ten-yearold Sally Emery and her instructress.

The verse that appears is most appealing, as it speaks of the sampler itself ("this piece I've wrought") and the role that "wisdom's ways" were expected to play in the life of a young lady in the early years of the 19th century.

Sally Emery's ancestors were amongst the first settlers of the nearby town of Newbury. She was born on March 26, 1797, the first of the three children of Moses and Sally (Short) Emery. Sally married Isaac Emerson in 1845 and then, after his death, Jacob Howe, a prominent citizen of Haverhill who held many positions including deputy sheriff, chairman of the town board of overseers and member of the Massachusetts Legislature.

This sampler stands as a fine example within this outstanding group. It was worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition with some loss, conservation mounted into a beveled bird's eye maple frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 12" x 16 1/z" Price: $3800.

21 Ann Ewan, Burlington Co., N.J., Near . lount Holly Seminary, 1835

Many of the finest and most sought after of all American samplers were worked in the early 19th century in Burlington County, New Jersey where girls attended schools in or around the town of Mount Holly.

This example was worked at a school, which called itself the Near Mount Holly Seminary, and while its dates of operation are not known, we can be sure of its whereabouts. Many carefully worked alphabets and an assortment of classic potted flowers and baskets of fruit adorn the sampler, anchored down by a polychrome striped base. The samplermaker's inscription, indicating that she "performed" this piece, is bordered top and bottom with tulips and queen's stitched strawberries worked as corner devices.

The Ewan family had a long history in this area by the 1830's. Ann Ewan was born October 22, 1822 to Job and Huldah Ewan of Evesham, New Jersey. She married Samuel Taylor, a merchant, and with their four children remained in the area. Ann Ewan Taylor is buried in Mount Holly. A file of family documentation accompanies the sampler.

Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, and has been conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 16" square

Price: $8400.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

22

E.M., American or English, 1815 There is a whimsical naivete to this sampler which was worked in 1815 and is initialed "EM." An appealing assortment of motifs and geometric patterns surround the central figures of Adam and Eve (an "A" designates Adam and an "E" Eve). Deer, dogs, birds and butterflies share pace with trees, flower , hearts and baskets.

A shepherd and shepherde ea h with their staff prO\·i e animation alon ,·ith the depiction of a yo c:1 Ia .· and her dog, a li ·cl. · _ !'-portrait, initi c -E_ LThe inscription, "Look at this And then You see What Care my Perants[ i I oo · : phrase which appears on samplers of both English and American origin. Tiu.: a;:-· .: had great appeal to the parents of the young samplermakers.

Worked in silk on linen, this sampler is in excellent condition wi servation mounted into a black molded and painted frame.

Sampler size: 12W' x 17W'

o

--: i· has been con-

Price: $2650.

Dutch Sampler, 1786 Samplers from the Netherlands can offer a wealth of in teres~ M== .. ·-from 1786 includes some of the most delightful vignettes that may be found. A large young lady and her little dog appear outside a little brick house and the lower corners feature two biblical favorites, the spies of Canaan and a clothed version of Adam and Eve. The Dutch sailing ship is most interesting: the pennant and the flag are in the national colors of blue, white and orange, and both the rudder and figure head are depicted with figural carvings.

This is likely to be of provincial origin, which would account for its charming, "folky" nature and less symmetrical layout.

Worked in silk on linen, it is in very good condition with some slight changes in the color of the linen, conservation mounted into a beveled bird's eye maple frame with a black bead, with Tru-Vue conservation glass.

Sampler size: 13W' x 12W'

Price: $3200.

·-example

_lary Gill, Wilmington Boarding School. Delaware, 1814 ~

_.i<fhly regarded Wilmington Boarding School opened on April1, 1811 and thanks to needlework ars Betty Ring and Susan B. Swan much information about the early years of the school, and the =- ers produced there, is available. In Girlhood Embroidery. vol. II, Needlework of Delaware, Mrs. -published the Prospectus of the Wilmington Boarding School (figure 545), in which it is stated -: The ubscribers ... have concluded to open a Boarding chool for girls within the Borough of ~-. <fton," and that "a proper attention will also be paid to instruct girls in plain Needlework." A umber of distinctive darning samplers are known to have been worked at the school between - -~ 1 20 and these samplers closely resemble the white work darning samplers of the Westtown ~.....=..-.... , a Quaker school in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Wilmington Boarding School samplers are in - I c ions of Winterthur Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

-:. c·.:. a young lady from a distinguished southern New Jersey family attended the school in 1814

::· e produced this fine darning sampler. The sampler descended in her family for many years and - _- ·as illustrated in American Samplers by Bolton & Coe as plate LXIX, the only Wilmington -r ~- .g chool sampler to be inc! uded in this groundbreaking publication. :Gill was born on April 21, 1798 to Mathew and Phebe (Clark) Gill of Clarksboro, New Jersey. Her - er \'as a granddaughter of Jeffrey Clark, founder of Clarksboro and her father, a prominent resident : e town, owned the general store there as early as 1775. In 1821 Mary married Joseph Reeves and, pon his death, John Jessup, a farmer. She died at age 85, having lived her life in Clarksboro. Many :3.ffiily papers, including wills and inventories, are in the collection of the Gloucester County Historical ~ iety along with a wonderful photographic portrait of the samplermaker circa 1870. A thick file of :amily information accompanies this sampler.

The sampler is worked in silk and cotton on linen and remains in very good condition. It has been con:ervation mounted into a black painted frame. ~ampler size: 10" square Price: $12,500.

AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel (:j Daughter.

23

24

Potholder, N. D., American, third quarter 18th century

Colonial Americans embraced the drinking and serving of tea and coffee in a social setting throughout the middle of the 18th century and many accessories related to this custom became equally popular.

Needleworkers fashioned decorative but practical potholders which would appear on the tea table along with silver teapots and ceramic salt glazed sugar bowls. Susan B. Swan in Plain and Fancy: American Women and Needlework, 1650-1850, a Winterthur Museum publication, discusses this form and illustrates examples of potholders in figures 59 and 85.

We are pleased to offer this very appealing example, ini tialed N.D. and worked circa 1765. It was published in a 1940 book entitled, Homespun and Blue: A Study of American Crewel Embroidery by Martha Genung Stearns, as figure 23. The crewel wool embroidery was gracefully designed and executed and it retains its original binding, a printed fabric of the period. The reve rse is of plain linen and it is all in excellent condition, now archivally mounted into a 19th century frame.

Size of the potholder: 6114'' square

M.Finkel e!:) Daughter.

Framed size: 11' square

Price: $6200.

AMERICA's L EADI/\G SAMP LER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

25 An Extremely Rare Pair of Needlework Portraits with Headwork, England, circa 1660-80 It is our pleasure to offer this outstanding pair of needlework portraits worked in England in the third

quarter of the 17th century. Two handsome ladies are portrayed, each with particular attention paid to detail including the headgear, hairstyles (the dark brown hair was worked using coiled wire), the ribbons and jewelry, which employs tiny pearl beads; they are extremely well executed.

The portraits are each surrounded with a padded and striped oval border worked in metallic threads and a framework of approximately lW' fashioned of wire and beads simulating lush flowers, leaves, berries, buds and acorns. Seventeenth century English needleworkers occasionally made headwork pictures and objects using tiny glass beads, which were manufactured in Amsterdam and brought into London between 1630 and 1680. Examples of headwork are included in the needlework collections of Colonial Williamsburg, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many important collections in England. We are very pleased to be able to offer this important pair of pictures, which quite fortunately have remained together all these years.

Worked with silk, metallic threads, sequins, beads and wire, they are in excellent condition with some very minor splits to the silk, in fine early walnut frames with convex glass.

Overall size of each frame: 11" x 9", each frame, including the convex glass, is approximately 2" deep.

Price for the pair: $22,000.

AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPL E R A

D NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel

es Daughter.

26

Elizabeth Rhoads pocketbook, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, c. 1770

Pocketbooks, carried by men and women, became popular in America from 1740 through 1800 and were used to hold money as well as other valuable papers. Needlework examples were far less common than the leather pocketbooks sold by tradesmen. We have known of a number of very handsome pocketbooks executed in the Irish stitch in richly colored geometric design worked by needleworkers in Chester County; it would seem that this style became popular and was repeated with variations over approximately 30 years in this area. Some of these have been published in Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania by Margaret Schiffer and Plain and Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850 by Susan Burrows Swan.

This exceptionally lovely pocketbook is initialed 11 ER 11 and a handwritten note on the inside red wool lining informs us that it was 11 Made by Elizabeth Rhoads who married Thomas Smedley of Upper Providence 6-20-1776. 11 The Rhoads and Smedley famil ies both had deep roots in early Chester County history. Elizabeth was born in 1745 to John and Elizabeth ( 1alin) Rhoads who were married in 1731 at the Goshen Friends Meeting. She married Thomas Smedley (1743-1791) in 1776 at the Springfield Meeting and they had six children born between 1777 and 1790 in Cpper Providence Township Chester County, where Thomas and Elizabeth owned substantial land. Elizabeth died in 1821 and her pocketbook descended in the family.

Fully worked in the Irish stitch in crewel wool with a wool lining and original wool tape binding, all in excellent condition.

Size of the pocketbook: 4- _¡¡ x 6- " Price: $6500.

M. Finkel~ Daughter.

AMERICA ' s LEADI

G

A~lPLE R

AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Maria Ackroyd. age 9, Bradford, Yorkshjre England, 1835 Many English sampler are formulaic in their layout and omewhat rigid in design. We are pleased to offer this charming sampler with its varied scenes, motifs and elements which present an appealing naivete and folkiness. The many animals, birds, houses, peacock, plants, and heralding angels combine with the unusual phrasing of the inscription to present a highly individual sampler. The sampler maker was Maria Ackroyd of the town of Bradford (as stated on the sampler), which is in Yorkshire, England. She was christened on ovember 15, 1826, the daughter of William and Hannah (Smith) Ackroyd who had been married there in 1822.

This large sampler was an ambitious project for a nine-year-old; she worked in crewel wool and linen on linen and the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a maple bead.

Sampler size: 201J2'' square

Price: $3200.

Nancy Smith, aged 11 years, American, probably New England, 1840 The maker of this unusual sampler included a wonderful depiction of a townscape and titled it "The Village Church Yard." Also featured is a large monument in the foreground, which bears the date 1840, and an overscaled basket of flowers. Parrots perched in a tree complete the handsome pictorial section of the sampler. The verse reads "How blest the man whose early days I In youthful study spent of God and man I Shall gain the praise and live and die content."

This sampler is worked in wool on linen with some loss of the wool in the border, verse and alphabet. It has been conservation mounted in its original frame.

Sampler size: 17" x 15W' Price: $4850.

AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPL E R A

D NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel & Daughter.

27

28

Sarah Edwards, English, dated June 22, 1831 Sarah Edwards featured an impressive rendition of an important cathedral on her sampler which was completed on June 22, 1831. An unusual amount of attention was paid to specific architectural details; this would likely indicate that the samplermaker had a particular church in mind as opposed to a more common depiction of a generic building. The church is balanced by a large basket of flowers with birds perched symmetrically at each blossom. The birds that fly above the church spires lend an unexpected sense of whimsy and motion to the design.

The piece is in very good condition with some slight loss to the linen along one edge. It has been conservation mounted into a bird 1s eye maple frame.

Sampler size: 18W1 x 15W1 Price: $3450.

Margaret Carr, Holiday Wishes on punched paper, 1874 While schoolgirl samplermaking experienced a marked decline in popularity in the later years of the 19th century, other forms of needlework continued to be produced. It is likely that 19th century ladies who had become talented in the needle arts as students would have looked for ways to continue their craft. Needlework on punched paper, a stiff board-like paper with pre-punched holes, became a widely popular medium, although most examples are predictable and formulaic. This is an unusual and charming little piece dated 1874 with fine stitching and a gracious sentiment.

Worked in silk on paper, it is in very good condition in a 19th century frame.

Size of the needlework: 4"x 7" Price: $725.

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

AMERICA ' s LEADL ' G

~1 PLER

AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

Elizabeth Jane ~ lorris, Bucks County Pennsylvania, 1845 The inscription of the name of the town of origin onto a ampler has long been a feature that scholars and collectors value highly, for o ¡iou reasons. This adds to the interest and value of any given sampler. We are pleased to offer this Jar e an praiseworthy sampler worked in 1845 by Elizabeth Jane Morris who included the town name of Bushin on in her inscription. Interestingly this town name initially proved to be a stumbling block to our research efforts. In fact, Bushington was the official name of the current town of Furlong and was used for only about 20 years during the 1830's and 1840's. The Morris family of Doylestown Township lived in precisely this area and is buried in Doylestown Cemetery. Elizabeth Jane Morris was born on May 9, 1832, the daughter of Benjamin W. Morris and Susan Bartleson Morris (the initials of her parents, along with those of other family members, appear on the sampler). Elizabeth married Elisha Wilkinson Bodine from the nearby town of Buckingham and then, as a widow, Samuel Hall; she died on May 11, 1912.

This sampler, with its varied alphabets, tightly worked motifs and fine borders, offered an excellent opportunity for Elizabeth Jane to showcase her expertise in the needle arts. Stitches of a very small scale make up the narrow horizontal bands separating the alphabets, and the leafy vine underscoring the actual inscription is very lovely. Sawtooth satin stitches serve as a platform for a basket of fruit flanked by butterflies and birds.

Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition with slight area darkening, conservation mounted into its fine original mahogany and maple corner block frame.

Sampler size: 17W' square

A.\! ERIC.\

LEA DING sAMP LER A

Price: $11,000.

D N EEDLEWORK DEALER

M.Finkel & Daughter.

29

30

Ann Johnson, England, 1810 Of a particularly endearing nature. this precisely rendered little sampler features two fashionably costumed couples and their dogs. Each of the figures holds a large flower in his or her free hand and large fruit trees and birds decorate the center of the sampler. The samplermaker included the following verse: When I Was Young I Littel Thought, That Learning Was So Dearly Bought, But Now I By Experience Find It Is Not Learned By An Idle Mind It is signed, "Ann Johnsons Work 1810" and was worked in silk on linen. The sampler remains in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted. The dark maple veneer frame is original to the sampler.

Sampler size: 12" x 81/ / '

Ann Page, Aycliffe School, England, 1787

Small marking samplers rarely present as many appealing features as are found on this example by Ann Page dated 1787, on which carefully worked alphabets, numbers, sets of initials, hearts, birds and animals fill the linen. More importantly, the location of the school that Ann attended is referenced on the sampler: Aycliffe, a small town in Durham County, close to Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted in a painted and molded frame.

Sampler size: 7W' x 7W' Price: $1600.

Price: $2400.

31

Lydia _ n _Ianning, Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1822 Ly ·a.~- . --..-. -':1 \·as the oldest child of Capt. Enoch Manning and his wife Mary Farrington of Salem, Mas -. --"-....:. Bo . August 29, 1809, Lydia would have worked this sampler when she was between the ag o: :c- ~-:: ~r:een. he married Seth Whitford of Hillsboro, New Hampshire on February 19, 1 5 --.:- : r3 ·e ·our children in Bedford, Massachusetts where Lydia died in 1881. orne : --c - -- . tassachusetts needlework was worked in or around the Salem area and these pieces often 3. :·rone~ ense of naivete or whimsy. Such is the case with Lydia Ann Manning's sampler wim · - · !J .,.- ·e and bird, along with the densely worked teal blue house. Lydia's teacher seems to have _ e lee>.,ay as evidenced by the letter "N" which appears backwards five times in her name. . · - r - ·ng contrast is provided by the carefully worked, eyelet stitched initials, "LM," at the end of e -r-- habet. Worked in silk and linen on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been o e · ·on mounded into a maple frame with a gilt liner. ;o,., .:..

Sampler tze: 10" x 14"

A~1ERICA'S

LEADING SA M P LE R A

Price: $1750.

D N EEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

es Daughter.

32

Sylvia Fales, Wrentham, Massachusetts, 1807 Born on February 20, 1794, Sylvia Fale was the daughter of Nathan and Peggy (Miller) Fales of the town of Wrentham, Norfolk County, 1assachusetts. Wrentham was founded in 1673 and lies 27 miles southwest of Boston; in 1 12 the population of the town was 2061. Sylvia married Harlos Lawrence, also of Wrentham, on April 29, 1817, as recorded in the town's vital records.

In 1807 Sylvia worked this fine sampler, an excellent demonstration of her needleworking skills.

The border is of an unusual and appealing design, with Queen's stitch strawberries inside adjoining circles and a row of five pine trees decorating the lower portion. The sampler closely resembles other known examples from this area, attesting to the fact that a school must have existed in this small town in the first decade of the nineteenth century.

Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 16W' x 12W'

Price: $2750.

Mary Emerson, Adam & Eve sampler, England, 1805 This is a wonderfully charming Adam & Eve sampler inscribed "Remember Thy Creator in I The Days of Thy Youth I Mary Emerson March 1 1805." The assorted motifs include windmills, butterflies, birds and a costumed shepherd with his staff, dog and flock of sheep, but it is Adam and Eve who command one's attention. The large serpent is wrapped around the trunk of the tree and seems to hold a basket in its mouth and the two figures have unusual treatment to their hair. They each have ponytails formed of lustrous silk floss which are long enough so as to swing freely from the sampler.

Strong color, balanced format and excellent needlework are all combined in this sampler. It is in very good condition with a bit of running of the color at the lower borders along the right; it has been conservation mounted into a beveled figured maple frame with a black bead.

Sampler size: 15" x 12"

M. Finkel

Price: $3250.

es Daughter.

AMERICA ' S LEADI

G SAMPLER AND

E EDLEWORK DEA LER

33 Queen's stitch pocketbook, Fanny Peck, probably Connecticut, 1818

The Queen's stitch is one of the most difficult of the needlework stitches, a fact that undoubtedly accounts for its virtual extinction for the past century and a half. Even at the height of its popularity, from about 1780 to 1810, it was used only for very small items,11 according to Susan B. Swan in A Winterthur Guide to American Needlework, 1976. This small pocketbook, worked entirely in polychromed Queen's stitch, is positively a gem; it was worked by Fanny Peck, most likely for her own use as a repository of small sewing tools and other personal objects. Worked in silk onto a linen base, it remains in excellent condition. It has been archivally mounted and placed in an early 19th century painted frame.

11

Size of the pocketbook: 9W' x 4W'

Overall framed size: 14" x 8314''

AMERICA ' S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER

M. Finkel

Price: $4800.

es 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.

0

Carefully clean the piece using our special vacuum process.

0

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.

0

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.

0

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

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

0

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.

Ivey, 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.Finkel6) Daughter.

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detail of a sampler by Eliza Mitchell, age 10, England, 1846. page 8

est. 1947

M.Finkel ~Daughter.

AMERICA'S LEADING ANTIQUE SAMPLER & NEEDLEWORK DEALER

936 Pine Street. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. 19107-6128 215-627-7797 . 800-598-7432 . fax 215-627-8199