VOLUME XXXVI
Sam~lings: A SELECTED OFFERING OF ANTIQUE SAMPLERS AND NEEDLEWORK
est. 1947
M. Finkel e:J 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 www.samplings.com
Please visit our website: www.samplings.com
detail of sampler by Louisa M. Abey, page 15
detail of sampler by Ann Hollensbee, page 31
Copyright Š 2009 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.
Welcome to our Samplings catalogue, Volume XXXVI ...
We hope that you enjoy this catalogue, our 36th issue, and we thank all of you for your continued and growing interest in this field. Schoolgirl samplers and needlework provide 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. 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. This year marks the 63rd anniversary of the founding of our firm. We continue to value our positive relationships 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 Monday through Friday, and are available on weekends except when we are exhibiting at antiques shows. Please let us know of your plans to visit us. We suggest that you contact us in a timely fashion if one or more of our samplers is of interest to you. Please let us know if you would like us to email you additional or larger photos than appear in this catalogue. The majority of the pieces in the catalogue have not yet appeared on our website so as to give our catalogue subscribers the advantage of having a first look. Should your choice be unavailable, we would be happy to discuss your collecting objectives with you. Our inventory is extensive, and we have many other samplers that are not included in our catalogue but which are on our website. Moreover, through our sources, we may be able to locate what you are looking for; you will find us knowledgeable and helpful. Payment may be made by check, VISA, Mastercard, or American Express. Pennsylvania residents should add 6% sales tax. All items are sold with a five day return privilege. Expert packing is included: shipping and insurance costs are extra. We prefer to ship via UPS ground or Federal Express air, insured. We look forward to your phone calls and your interest. Amy Finkel Morris Finkel Jamie Banks www.samplings.com
mailbox@samplings.com 800-598-7432
Please check our website for a more expanded, and frequently updated, inventory of our samplers
Are you interested in selling? We are 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. Please call us for more information.
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ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS Louisa M. Abey, Baltimore, Maryland, 1826 ................................................. 15 Phebe Ackerman, Fishkill, New York, 1831 ................................................. 34 Harriet Armold, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1828 ................................................ 1 Basket of Flowers, Silk Embroidery, American, circa 1835 .................................... 20 Nancy Battelle, "Juvenile Diversion," Mrs. Rowson School, Boston, circa 1800 .................... 9 Jane E. Birchard, taught by Ann Beaumont, Lebanon, Connecticut, 1835 ....................... 17 Eliza A. Bradlee, Mrs. Peterson's Academy, Boston, circa 1815 ................................. 22 Amelia Bunce, East Hartford, Connecticut, 1823 ............................................ 12 Pair of Miniature Needlework Pictures on Paper, C. Bunney, England, circa 1830 ................ 33 Hannah Dole, Rowley, Massachusetts, 1801 ................................................. 25 Embroidered Picture, Russia, late 19th century .................... .... . .......... .......... 28 Charlotte Gardner, Female Association School, New York, 1813 ................................ 6 Evelina S. Gilman, Canterbury School, New Hampshire, 1821 .................................. 3 Polly Goodridge, Lynn, Massachusetts, circa 1815 ............................................ 18 Rebekah Gould, England, circa 1830 ...................................................... 32 Ann Hollensbee, England, 1772 ........................................................... 31 Matilda Rosianna Hoover, Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, 1837 .................................. 5 Catherine Kendall, British Isles, 1807 ....................................................... 8 Eliza Kenney, Cold Overton Asylum, Leicestershire, England, 1828 ............................ 26 Isabella C. Lockart, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1827 ...................................... 11 Mary Jane Martin, Baldwin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1833 .......... ...... .............. 4 Eliza Matthews of Baltimore, MD, Westtown School, Chester County, PA, 1809 .................. 19 Zelphia Merrill, Durham, Maine, 1827 ..... ... ................... ...... .................... 12 Three Miniature Friendship Samplers, England, circa 1801 ................................... 23 Elizabeth Mitchell, Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1828 ............................... 7 Sally Parker, Pepperell, Massachusetts, circa 1799 ....... . ................................... 21 Pattern Block Sampler, Germany, circa 1750 ............................................... 30 Mary Pearse, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1810 ............................................ 27 Needlework Pocket, initialed RB, Pennsylvania, circa 1750 .................................... 14 Ann Ringrose, Isfield, Sussex, England, 1802 ............................................... 23 Sarah Smith, Miniature Sampler, England, circa 1800 . ... ................................... 29 Margaret Spender, England, 1810 ......................................................... 34 Matilda Stedman, Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, 1828 ........................ 24 Caroline E. Stoddard, Chesterfield, New Hampshire, circa 1835 ............................... 28 Mary Ann Taylor, England, 1833 .................... . ..................................... 26 Lydia Visscher, Albany Female Academy, Albany, New York, 1830 .............................. 35 Abigail Webster, Haverhill, Massachusetts, circa 1833 ........................................ 10 Mary Woodruff, Miss Barton's School, Elizabeth Town, New Jersey, 1835 ............. . .......... 16 Sailor's Woolie, England, circa 1855 ....................................................... 32 Betsy Yell, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1809 .................................................. 13
detail of sampler by Betsy Yell, page 13
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
1
Harriet
~old,
Reading, Pennsylvania, 1828
,¡een 1 7 and 1831 in Reading, Pennsylvania produced some of the most ¡all 19th century American samplers. Well-documented by scholars since the 1960s, as part of the 2006 exhibition of samplers at the Historical Society of Berks County, _n Leseuir, noted sampler historian. Theses pieces share distinctive characteristics and were r a eacher who is identified only by her initials, MT. This talented schoolmistress was able to an inspire her students to achieve unusual success in the needle arts; the young girls created highly a <1 pictorial compositions and used a sophisticated vocabulary of stitches. We have handled other exam I in the past and are now pleased to offer a recent discovery, which is the finest example of this group. """"' .., , ,-,~<1
T e lassie Reading elements include the large, stately Federal brick house sitting on a bright green lawn flanked by tall, crisp pine trees, an extraordinary striped vase of flowers and spiky leaves, pairs of filled fruit baskets beautifully formed queen's stitched elements and a fine strawberry border, also worked in the queen's stitch, are considered Reading characteristics. Harriet's sampler is one of the very few to retain its original silk ribbon edging and its excellent coloration. Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania by Margaret B. Schiffer illustrates the sampler made by Harriet Weiser in 1830 on page 80, a similar example also made under the instruction of MT. The composition and proportions of the Armold sampler render it a more pleasing example. (continued on the next page)
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Harriet Armold, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1828 (continued) Harriet Armold, a ten-year-old Pennsylvania German girl, was one of the twelve children of blacksmith, Daniel Armold and his wife Sarah (Spohn) Armold, both members of early Berks County families. Sarah's father, John Spohn, served in the Revolutionary War, forming one of the first companies out of Reading and commissioned as captain. He was taken as a prisoner at Fort Washington in 1776 for several months. In 1837 Harriet married William Nagle, an engineer with the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and they had six children. William died in 1848 when his locomotive exploded, leaving Harriet with six children, ages 10 weeks to 10 years of age. Much family history regarding the Nagels has been published in several sources including county history volumes. Harriet did not marry again and remained in Reading, living with her children and later with a married daughter. (detail)
(detail) This sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and one small area of the silk ribbon is a later replacement, and it is in a fine mahogany and maple comerblock frame. Sampler size: 17W' x 16" Frame size: 21" x 19%" Price: $48,000.
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3
Evelina S. Gilman, Canterbury school, New Hampshire, circa 1825 Amongst the most highly regarded American samplers are the "Bird and Basket Samplers" made in southern New Hampshire towns including Canterbury, Boscawen and Sanbornton. A large number of excellent samplers made over many decades form a group that shares many specific regional characteristics. A groundbreaking exhibition, "Lessons Stitched in Silk: Samplers From the Canterbury Region of New Hampshire," held at the Hood Museum of Dartmouth College in 1990 showed 33 of these samplers and defined this group and its salient features. That scholarship remains most important, and the catalogue of the same name commands great respect in the field.
Samplers from the Canterbury group are very skillfully executed and there are many distinctive aspects of the compositions and technique of theses samplers. Many of the elements are outlined in black, and virtually all of the samplermakers worked the bottom of their samplers with a distinctive hilly lawn with white tops to the little hillocks and black-outlined flowers strewn across the grass. Evelina S. Gilman's splendid sampler presents these classic Canterbury characteristics and was executed with great skill. Her large birds perch whimsically upon stylized trees flanking an excellent basket of large white-blossomed flowers. This folky and free-form rendition of the Canterbury composition is unusually appealing. Evelina S. Gilman was most likely the daughter of Joseph Warren Gilman and his wife Rosanna Titus Gilman who raised their family in nearby Orange County, Vermont. She was born in 1811 and married Dr. Plimmon Bennett; they removed to Ohio and had six children. Evelina is buried in Portage County, Ohio. The sampler is worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 12W' square
Frame size: 15W' square
Price: $14,500.
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M. Finkel as Daughter.
4
Mary Jane Martin, Baldwin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1833 Scholars and collectors have long admired the large pictorial samplers made in western Pennsylvania in the 1830s and 40s and we are very pleased to offer this newly discovered example, made by Mary Jane Martin in 1833. A fully developed sampler, it includes outstanding pictorial composition and praiseworthy needlework executed in a wide vocabulary of stitches. The excellent double chimney house with an ell sits on a checkered lawn next to an oversized finely worked flowering plant that echoes the blossoms forming the unusual side borders. The uppermost register offers an interesting scene of birds perched on fruit trees centered on a flower arrangement inside a blue vase. Alphabets are accompanied by a verse from a poem written by Rev. Isaac Watts. We assume that the letters A L that appear below her name refer to Allegheny County. Family genealogy that descended with the sampler identifies Mary Jane Martin and research has provided further information. Mary Jane was born in Ireland circa 1821 and immigrated with her family to the United States within the next several years. The family settled in Baldwin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, just south of Pittsburgh. Her father John Martin and his sons, Samuel, James and John are mentioned in
History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Chapter V, as one of the early families of Baldwin Township. More is known about her mother, Mary (Chambers) Martin as one of her sisters was first president of the Missionary Society of Pittsburgh. Mary Jane, age 29, was still living with her mother and two siblings in 1850 as documented by that census. Family information also indicates that she married Eli Neold, who also resided in Baldwin. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition with a few very minor areas of darning to the linen. It has been conservation mounted and is in a figured maple and cherry beveled frame. Sampler size: 21 W' x 17W' Frame size: 25%" x 21 %" Price: $18,500.
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Matilda Rosianna Hoover, Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, 1837
At the time of Sue Studebaker's ground-breaking exhibition and book, Ohio Is My Dwelling Place: Schoolgirl Embroideries, 1803-1850, (Ohio University Press, 2002), there were no known samplers from Shelby County, which is in the western part of central Ohio. We are not aware of any others that have come to light since then. This handsome and sophisticated sampler is signed, "Matilda Rosianna Hoover's Work 1837 Sidney Shelbey County Ohio." Happily, Matilda left no doubt as to where and when she made her fine sampler. Her precise identity remains unknown although much information regarding early Hoover families in the area accompanies the sampler. Sidney is the county seat of Shelby County and is located on the Miami River. The city was established in 1819 and in 1840 had a population of 713 people. A canal connected Sidney to the Miami and Erie Canal, providing access to markets across the country. The town grew quickly throughout the middle decades of the 19th century. Matilda's sampler portrays a large, finely patterned, two-handled basket filled with realistically depicted flowers; the basket sits on a narrow, shaded platform, with a garland above it. A deep blue sawtooth border surrounds it with a floral border and another sawtooth border at the top and bottom. The composition may bear a relationship to an excellent body of work known as the Philadelphia Presentation Samplers of the early 19th century. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a maple and cherry cornerblock frame. Sampler size: 17" square Frame size: 21" square Price: $12,000. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
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Female Association School Sampler made by Charlotte Gardner for Mary M. Perkins, New York, 1813 Amongst the most interesting of all Quaker samplers are those made at the Female Association Schools of New York beginning in 1813. Betty Ring writes of these in Girlhood Embroidery, vol. II, pages 318 and 319. This newly discovered example, made by Charlotte Gardner in December of 1813, joins that of Eliza McManus, a sampler that was in the renowned collection of Joan Stephens, as the earliest known Association School samplers. These small and very finely made samplers were presentation pieces, made for the philanthropic Quaker ladies who contributed to the funding and administration of the several Female Association schools. Our samplermaker, Charlotte Gardner, dedicated her needlework to Mary M. Perkins, one of the leaders and longtime contributors to this cause, which sought to reform education for the underserved .
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Mary M. Perkins was born Mary Lindley Murray in 1784 to John and Catharine (Bowne) Murray of New York City. In 1806 she married Benjamin Douglass Perkins. A great deal is known about Mary's family as it was for her grandfather, Robert Murray, that Murray Hill was named. The Murray and Bowne families featured prominently in the New York Quaker community, which was greatly influential in 18th and early 19th century New York. One of Mary's uncles, Lindley Murray, was highly regarded for the publication of his scholarly works in the area of English grammar and literature. Benjamin Douglass Perkins (1774-1810), Mary's husband, was born in Connecticut and graduated from Yale College in 1794. He spent time in London where he converted to the Society of Friends; his business there was to introduce a medical treatment founded by his father, and to that end he initiated the "Perkins Institution." A successful merchant back in New York as well, Benjamin established the publishing and bookselling concern "Collins & Perkins," located at 189 Pearl Street. Benjamin was charitably minded as well, and was instrumental in the founding the New York Free School Society and an active member of the Abolition Society and the New York Historical Society. Benjamin died at age 36, survived by Mary and their two children, Benjamin and Caroline. The sampler remained in its original frame and backboard. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted. Sampler size: 6W' x 6W' Framed size: 7%" x 7W' Price: $20,000.
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Elizabeth Mitchell, Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1828 The Quaker samplers of Pennsylvania often exude a quiet refinement in their composition and needlework, as is evident on this praiseworthy sampler made by Elizabeth Mitchell in 1828. She featured the baskets of fruit, pair of birds, sprigs of flowers, cartouche surrounds to the inscriptions and the precise block lettering that were initiated at the Westtown School of Chester County, the historic Quaker school, and disseminated throughout the Delaware Valley by the many young women hired by the Society of Friends. Family information that descended with the sampler allowed us to know a great deal about Elizabeth and her family, which further enhances its interest. Born in 1815, Elizabeth was the daughter of William and Sarah Mitchell of Newtown. In 1852 she married, as his second wife, a farmer, Jesse Leedom who was also from a Bucks County Quaker family, and a member of Newtown Monthly Meeting. It was with the family of Jesse's maternal grandmother, Mary Twining, that Edward Hicks (1780-1849), Quaker minister and America's most famed folk artist, spent his childhood, after the death of his mother in 1781. Hicks painted both the Twining Farm and the Leedom Farm. Carolyn J. Weekley, Director of Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, authored The Kingdoms of Edward Hicks (Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center with Harry N. Abrams, 1999). About the Leedom Farm painting, figure 172, Ms. Weekley states, "Perhaps better than any other picture, Leedom Farm captured Quaker quietism and the innate concern for order, simplicity and man's good works on earth."
Jesse and Elizabeth adopted a daughter Josephine, born 1854, who married Harry Smith and they had a son, Jesse Smith. Elizabeth Mitchell Leedom died in 1886 and is buried in Newtown Friends Burying Ground. Her sampler descended through the family of her grandson Jesse Smith and remained with the family until1980. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a black painted frame. Sampler size: 14W' x 17" Frame size: 16W' x 19" Price: $5800.
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Catherine Kendall, British Isles, 1807
While English schoolgirls produced an astonishing number of samplers in the early 19th century, only a handful that present this type of boldly-conceived scene were made. The talented maker of this praiseworthy sampler likely lived in northern England and in fact this bears some resemblance to Scottish samplers. The size of the sampler is quite remarkable but, of course, it is the highly-detailed, pictorial tableau that imparts great appeal to this work. The samplermaker presented a busy farmyard setting and included many country folk tending to their tasks in her scenario. The house has a slate-blue roof and a robust garden, while a small windmill sits on a rocky outpost. A fine assortment of stitches along with the use of chenille threads, rarely found on English samplers, provide appealing texture. The garland of flowers with bowknots, angels and tassels balances the upper portion and a fine honeysuckle border frames it on four sides. Worked in silk and chenille on wool, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a 19th century maple frame with a gilt liner. (detail)
Sampler size: 22" x 20" Frame size: 27" x 25" Price: $16,000.
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Nancy Battelle, silk embroidery entitled "Juvenile Diversion," Mrs. Rowson School, Boston, circa 1800 The maker of this extraordinary silk embroidery, Nancy Battelle, was born 1783 to Ebenezer Battelle (17541815) and Anna (Durant) Battelle. Col. Ebenezer Battelle graduated from Harvard class of 1775 and immediately entered the militia, holding the commission of colonel by the close of the war. In 1781 he established a book shop in Boston, the second ever to open in that city, in partnership with Isaiah Thompson, later the creator of the American Antiquarian Society. They operated this together for seven years, adding a circulating library to their services; interestingly, by 1830 their business was one of those that formed the nucleus of Little, Brown & Company, the publishing giant. During those years Col. Battelle married Anna Hunt Durant, the daughter of prosperous Boston merchant, known as a lady of superior intellect and character and they had three sons and two daughters. By 1788 Col. Battelle interests turned to westward expansion and he became an associate founder and agent of the Ohio Company, the renowned land company that initiated settlement in Ohio. That same year, he left Boston to settle in Marietta, Ohio with a group of like-minded pioneers; his wife and children joined him shortly afterward. Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio by S. P. Hildred (H. W. Derby & Co, 1852) describes the substantial contributions of Col. Battelle to the early history of Ohio. He died in there in 1815. (continued on the next page)
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Nancy Battelle, silk embroidery entitled "Juvenile Diversion," Mrs. Rowson School, Boston, circa 1800 (continued) Mrs. Battelle must have found life as an Ohio pioneer particularly trying, as this is noted in the Hildred book, which states this and adds that she "had all her life been nurtured in the comforts of a city." It seems clear that Mrs. Battelle and, likely, her daughters, returned to Boston for periods of time. In 1810 a fine portrait of Mrs. Battelle was painted by America's finest portrait artist, Gilbert Stuart, who was by then residing in Boston; this portrait is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Additionally, their daughter Nancy Battelle attended Boston's finest school for girls, that of the celebrated Mrs. Susanna Rowson, and while there worked this fascinating silk embroidery. Several family notations that were written on the original paper backing of this piece indicate that it was worked by Nancy Battelle, later Nancy Smith, while she attended Mrs. Rowson's school. Entitled, "Juvenile Diversions," this was likely an illustration of a novel or short story that was published in the period. It is a very appealing picture, solidly stitched with the needlework covering the entire surface, with the exception of the finely painted faces, hair and hands of the three boys. The enormous swan is depicted in minute detail, with his leg visible underwater. It retains its original eglomise with the title appearing in gold leaf block letters, and its fine original gold leaf frame which would have been made in one of the many excellent frame shops of Boston. On October 26, 1804, Nancy married Michael Smith in Boston. Further research will likely reveal details of her life as an adult. Worked in silk and paint on silk, it is in excellent condition with its original eglomise glass and gold leaf frame. Size of the oval: 8" x lOW'
Frame size: 12W' x 15W' Price: $12,000.
Abigail Webster, Haverhill, Massachusetts, circa 1833 We occasionally find Massachusetts samplers that incorporate bold vining borders emanating from checkerboard cornucopias. Abigail Webster's sampler is one of these splendid examples, which also features a classic verse that is a favorite of ours as well: "Count that day lost I Whose low descending sun I Sees from thy hand I No worthy action done." The maker of this highly appealing sampler was Abigail Webster of Haverhill, Massachusetts who states her birth date in her stitches. This is a town that produced some of the finest New England samplers over a period of many years; it has become clear to scholars and collectors that beautifully designed and executed samplers were an important part of Haverhill's traditions. A shallow lawn anchors the lower edge of the sampler with pink flowers and little plants growing from it. Abigail's name and birth date are surrounded by a splendid leafy garland; indeed this information can be confirmed by the vital records of Haverhill: Abigail was the daughter of Hazen Webster, a farmer, and his wife Sophia Hoyt Webster who had married in Haverhill in 1820. The sampler was worked in silk on linen, with a drawnwork border at the outermost edge. It is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into its original figured maple frame. Sampler size: 15" x 10%'' Frame size: 18W' x 14W' Price: $4800.
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Isabella C. Lockart, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1827
Pictorial samplers of Chester County, Pennsylvania are highly regarded for their folky quality and interesting needlework. This is a splendid example, worked by Isabella C. Lockhart in 1827, featuring many fat birds, gazebos wrapped with flowering vines, a large pot of flowers and a house and garden scene. Further embellishments include hearts, stars and an excellent cartouche of grapes on a vine surrounding the name and date. The border is a beautifully developed one of queen's stitched strawberries on a queen's stitched framework. Born on October 3, 1810, Isabella was the youngest of nine children of James and Margaret (Culbertson) Lockart who resided in Honey Brook Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. James Lockart was a large property owner in Chester County, a fourth generation Pennsylvanian whose father served as a captain in the Revolutionary War. The Culbertson family had lived in Chester County for generations as well and Margaret Culbertson's father, John Culbertson was a major in the war. Isabella worked this sampler when she was 17 years old. She died at age 23 in 1833 and is buried along with other family members at the Brandywine Manor Cemetery. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in very good condition with one minor area of weakness to the linen. Sampler size: 16W' x 17W' Frame size: 20W' x 21 W'
Price: $7400.
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Amelia Bunce, East Hartford, Connecticut, 1823 A large three-story house dominates this interesting sampler, which was worked by Amelia Bunce of East Hartford, Connecticut. The house is set on a lawn with three uphill paths and the inscription flanks the scene, reading, "Amelia Bunce WI rought this I Sampler a I t the age I of 12 year Is & AD 18 I 23 M K I Instructr I ess Sept 3." The sixth child of wealthy paper manufacturer, Charles Bunce and his second wife, Anne Cadwell Bunce, Amelia was born on April 11, 1811. The Bunce family began with Thomas Bunce (c.1612c.1682), one of the original proprietors of Hartford. In 1832 Amelia married Samuel Thomas Avery, a farmer and deacon of the Talcottville church; their eight children were born between 1833 and 1853. Amelia died in 1900. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a molded frame. Sampler size: 11 W' x 12W' Frame size: 14W' x 15W' Price: $3800.
Zelphia Merrill, Durham, Maine, 1827 Durham is a small town located on the Androscoggin River, due north of Freeport. The New England Gazetteer, published in 1839, states that it was situated on good land and that the principle occupation was farming; the population in 1837 was 1832. It was there that John Merrill married Lucy Plummer and they became the parents of two children, Henry, born in 1815 and Zelphia, born in 1817. Zelphia worked this charming sampler when she was 10 years old. The naive quality of her work is likely an indicator that this was the first sampler she made; note that the word "Durham" seems to have been initially begun on one line and was spelled out fully on the next line. Underneath the alphabets and her inscription, Zelphia worked a classic religious poem, which appears on many fine early samplers. Zelphia didn't marry and lived as an adult in Durham with her mother, a widow, and brother Henry, a farmer. The sampler was worked in linen on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a modem frame. Sampler size: 10%" x 8%"
Frame size: 13" x 11"
Price: $2200.
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Betsy Yell, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1809 In Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers and Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850, Betty Ring writes of the splendid samplers made in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Mrs. Ring identifies specific characteristics that can be found on samplers made between 1801 and 1815 at the schools of Miss Parker and Miss Plummer: extraordinary wide floral borders, fully-worked geometric side borders and gracious hilly lawns inset with fruit and flowers and sprouting large and small pine trees. Our praiseworthy sampler, made by Betsy Yell in 1809, fits squarely into this Haverhill tradition, offering the sophisticated composition and needlework of this appealing group. Interesting to note is the phrasing consistently found on the inscriptions of these samplers, as evidenced on ours, "Betsy Yell wrought this in 1809 Haverhill County Essex."
Stitched Thgether: Early American Samplers From the Collections of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America and Friends, by Amy Keaton, illustrates Eliza Greenough's sampler, also made in 1809 in Haverhill, on page 28. Eliza's sampler and our sampler by Betsy Yell resemble each other so closely that we can picture the samplermakers side by side as they stitched. The Greenough sampler is in the collection of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, at the Martin House Farm in North wansea, Massachusetts, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Both Eliza and Betsy featured a three-sided border of a highly unusual and very substantial grapevine, a sinuous framework growing from low baskets and from which spectacular elongated leaves and blossoms sprout. They include a pendulous bunch of fat grapes at the center top with smaller bunches worked near the comers and they both worked the same four-line verse which offers advice to improve one's mind. The only other Haverhill sampler to exhibit this distinctive grapevine border was made in 1808 by Abigail Ayer; this sampler was in the Theodore Kapnek Collection and published as such. (continued on the next page)
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Betsy Yell, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1809 (continued) Betsy Yell did not reside in Haverhill but in Salem. It is likely that she lived with relatives while attending school in Haverhill. Born in 1798, she was the daughter of Moses and Abigail (Moses) Yell who were married in Salem in 1795. Moses Yell was a master mariner in the employment of the ship-owner and trader Thomas Perkins, and he died in 1814 when he was lost at sea. In 1821, Betsy married Richard Batten and she died in 1832 at age 34. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition with very minor weakness to one area of the linen. It has been conservation mounted and is in a figured maple and cherry beveled frame. Sampler size: ISlA" x 19W' Frame size: 19W' x 23%" Price: $14,500.
Needlework Pocket, initialed RB, Pennsylvania, circa 1750 Needleworkers of the early and mid-18th century, working in Philadelphia and nearby Chester County, produced an important body of the most remarkable small objects, including elaborate needlecases, pincushions, bible covers, wallets and pot holders. While they each were meant to serve a purpose, they were generally wonderfully decorative as they were frequently presented as gifts; because they were held in such esteem, many survive in remarkable condition. Worldly Goods: The Arts of Early Pennsylvania 1680-1758, by Jack L. Lindsey (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1999) illustrates several extraordinary examples made by and for members of the prominent families of Philadelphia and environs. Splendid patterns worked in richly colored silk threads belie the fact that their makers were members of the Society of Friends, supposedly adhering to a standard of plainness and moderation (indeed the church elders perceived and admonished Philadelphians about this issue repeatedly in the 18th century). Many of these pieces descended in families and now reside in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Winterthur Museum. Our spectacular needlework roll-up pocket has just recently come onto the market for the first time and we feel fortunate to be able to offer it to our clients. As with the other known roll-up pockets or needlecases, this is small in scale, measuring only three inches wide. The five pockets' fronts are each worked in a different pattern and an assortment of stitches, and are edged in the original green tape-woven binding, which also forms the binding overall. The entire back of it is worked in the Irish stitch in a rich pattern of shaded colors. The initials RB, either those of the maker or the recipient, are cross-stitched onto yellow silk fabric triangle at the top. Worked in silk on linen, it is in pristine condition. Size: 12W' x 3"
Price: $12,500.
M. Finkel as Daughter. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
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Louisa M. Abey, Baltimore, Maryland, 1826 Amongst the most sought after of all architectural American samplers are those worked in Baltimore, which was, in 1840, the 2nd largest city in the United States. Gloria Seaman Allen's outstanding book, A Maryland Sampling: Girlhood Embroidery 1738 -1860 (Maryland Historical Society, 2007), presents a thorough and fascinating study of the samplers made in Maryland, with pages 201 through 224 devoted to Baltimore samplers featuring domestic architecture. Many of these excellent pieces present fully-developed houses and wide floral borders, and these samplers were made between 1798 and 1840 in four specific neighborhoods of Baltimore: Fells Point, Old Town, Federal Hill and Central Town. An important sampler that was previously documented by Mrs. Allen has just recently become the subject of intensive study and we are privileged to offer it at this point. Louisa M. Abey's sampler is both visually striking and carefully crafted; speaking about this sampler, Mrs. Allen states that it is a beautiful sampler representing yet another type of Baltimore building sampler. The large, detailed house sitting on an unusual, graphic lawn fairly fills the sampler. Both the inner border of lender leaves on a straight edge and the outer border of stylish blossoms and buds provide an excellent framework. This is a sampler with remarkable visual appeal. Louisa's parents were Jacob Abey and Sarah hepherd, who were married at the Zion Lutheran Church of Baltimore in 1806. Jacob -erved in the 51st regiment of the Baltimore militia during the War of 1 12; he later stated his cupation as that of - herman but the family had substantial means and social standing. Sarah hepherd descended from a notable family from wer Maryland; according ¡o the History of
Baltimore City and County by J. Thomas ~ harf, the Shepherd ancestors figured -onspicuously in Revolutionary annals. The Abey family resided in Federal Hill and Louisa was born circa 1 14. Louisa didn't marry and by 1860 was living with the family of her late sister, Elizabeth (Abey) Mowell. In 1 6 Elizabeth had married Peter Mowell, the owner of very successful iron furnaces who also had mvolvement with railroads, banking and insurance concerns. They had ten children and after Elizabeth's eath in 1854 Louisa lived with this family for many years, on, or next to, the family's estate, Glencoe, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Louisa died in a carriage accident at age 59 in 1873 and er obituary was reported by the Baltimore Sun. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and - in an excellent period mahogany and maple cornerblock frame. Sampler size: 17%" square Frame size: 21" square Price: $14,500.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
16
Mary Woodruff, Miss Barton's School, Elizabeth Town, New Jersey, 1835
Samplers memorializing George Washington remained popular with American instructresses and schoolgirls for many years beyond his death in 1799. An outstanding group of samplers, now totaling four, is known to have been worked in Elizabeth Town, northern New Jersey, under the instruction of Miss Barton, who was teaching from at least 1832 until at least 1840. The samplermakers included Miss Barton's name and that of the town in their inscriptions and each sampler depicts either Washington's Urn or a View of Mount Vernon. The teacher has been identified as Miss Maria M. Barton, who was born circa 1805 to Stephen and Phebe Barton of Elizabeth Town. She didn't marry and lived there throughout her life. She died in 1861 and is buried at the Burying Grounds of the First Presbyterian Church and St. Johns Church. Each of the four samplers feature either the architecture or the urn set on a fine striated lawn with graphically-depicted trees, surrounded by strong floral borders and an outer Greek key design. One of these samplers, that made by Harriett Dector in 1838, is published in Home Sweet Home: The House in American Folk Art (Rizzoli, 2001) by Deborah Harding and Laura Fisher, on page 21. We are now pleased to offer Mary Woodruff's excellent sampler of 1835, a recent discovery and addition to this interesting group. The Woodruff family features prominently in the early history of Elizabeth Town, New Jersey, having settled there in the 17th century. The History of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Including The Early History of Union County, by Rev. Edwin F. Hatfield and published in 1868, includes much information about this family. There were two young ladies of the appropriate age named Mary Woodruff living in Elizabeth Town in 1835 and so the specific identity of the samplermaker cannot be known. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition with minor darkening and one area of weakness to the linen. It has been conservation mounted and is in its excellent original gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 16W' square Framed size: 20W' square Price: $6500.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
17
Jane E. Birchard, taught by Ann Beaumont, Lebanon, Connecticut, 1835 Jane Elizabeth Birchard of Lebanon, Connecticut, age ten years old in 1835, worked this excellent sampler while attending the school of Ann Beaumont, as designated by the inscription, "Taught by AB." Jane was the daughter of Ariel and Lydia Birchard who lived in Norwich and then Lebanon, where Ariel operated a grist mill, as indicated in published family genealogies. The Birchards were amongst the founding families of Lebanon, a small town located west and outh of Hartford. \ ith our newly discovered piece by Jane, there are now four known samplers made by students of Ann Beaumont etween 1830 and 1835, all of them with the same distinguishing features and all accomplished with unusual proficiency. That made in 1834 by Hannah Loring is published as figure 88 in Glee Krueger's New England Samplers to 1840, and is described as including an "elaborate brick building with six chimneys, a Palladian "1ndow above the front entrance with fanlight and three steps leading to the entrance." Hannah Loring's sampler also features a portrayal of the same vhimsical young lady in a triped dress holding a parasol, several large birds, potted plants and trees. Mrs. Krueger refers to another :ery similar sampler made by Hannah's sister Susannah, .:hich hangs in the Lebanon me of Governor Jonathon Trumball (1710-1785). And, ·te notably, the "'holographic collection at • e library of Winterthur •·1 eum provided us with an mage of the sampler made _. the sister Lydia Ann Birchard, the sister of our -.m1plermaker, in 1830, again .:.· Ann Beaumont's school with the same building young lady with parasol. m circa 1794, Ann Beaumont was a daughter of - uel and Lucretia (Abel) Beaumont. She remained in banon throughout her life, · 't marry and was ifically recorded as a teacher of needlework in family histories. Her older brother, Dr. William Beaumont, - a greatly accomplished physician who spent much of his career as an army surgeon; he is known as the ·ather of Gastric Physiology." Ann lived with her sister Lucretia and died in 1877. sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and - n a fine mahogany and maple comerblock frame. :npler size: 17%" square Frame size: 20W' square Price: $11,500. AME RICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel as Daughter.
18
Polly Goodridge, silk embroidery memorial to two siblings, Lynn, Massachusetts, circa 1815 According to Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, Vol. I, page 21, the majority of early 19th century mourning pieces "appear to have been made as a record and a decoration, rather then an expression of current grief, and they were the result of fashion rather than melancholy. This exquisite silk embroidery was worked by Polly Goodridge of Lynn, Massachusetts circa 1815, in memory of her brother and sister, who had died as infants in 1804 and 1806. Polly was sufficiently older than the deceased siblings to have remembered them and their deaths, and this may account for the more personal nature of this piece, with Polly kneeling in prayer at the tomb and an angel rising and pointing heavenward. The lush willow tree is formed by tiny diamondshaped leaves that are wonderfully shaded; this treatment can be found on other memorials from this area. Polly worked her own attire with great attention, lavishing hundreds of tiny seed stitches on the mourning veil. The finely done painting to Polly's face, arm and the entire angel was most likely accomplished by a professional artist, as is often the case. The inked inscription on the tomb reads, "Sacred to the memory of Rann G. Goodridge who died 19th March 1804 AE 3 wks Eliza Goodridge who died 11th Jan 1806 AE 2 ws." The Goodridge
Genealogy: A History of the Descendants of William Goodridge by E. A. Goodridge, published in 1918, indicates that this was the family of Moses Goodridge (1768-1858) and Hannah Graves (1774-1835) of West Newbury and then Lynn, Massachusetts, where their children were born. Polly was their second child, born on December 18, 1798; Rann and Eliza were their fourth and sixth children and the only of their offspring to die as infants. In 1820 Polly married Timothy Newhall of Lynn; sadly she died the following year. A Family Register sampler that was made by Polly's sister Jane in 1813 is fully described in American Samplers by Bolton and Coe (page 164). Quite possibly, Polly and Jane attended the same school; one worked a sampler and the other a silk embroidery. The embroidery was worked in silk and watercolor on silk and is in excellent condition. It remains with its original eglomise glass and in its fine original gold leaf frame. Size of the oval: 12W' x lOW' Frame size: 14%" x 16%" Price: $9000.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Eliza Matthews of Baltimore, Maryland, made at the Westtown Boarding School, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1809 This outstanding sampler was worked at the Westtown Boarding School, the historic American Quaker school which was established by the Philadelphia yearly meeting in 1799, and which is still in operation on its original site in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The best of Quaker needlework has long been admired for the strength and simplicity of its design and the faultless rendering of its execution. Betty Ring's Girlhood Embroidery, Volume II, pages 388-395 provides much information about the samplers of the Westtown School, and figure 429 illustrates a vine and leaf Extract sampler made by Ann Haines in 1806, which is almost identical to this choice example by Eliza Matthews, dated 1809. The school attracted students from great distances as it offered equal education for male and female students, at an unparallellevel. Eliza Matthews was from Baltimore, Maryland and was admitted to Westtown on the 11 month, 21 day of 1808; her older sister Edith having attended the school two years prior. Their parents were Mordecai and Ruth (Hussey) Matthews, Quakers who were associated with the Gunpowder Monthly Meeting of Baltimore. Eliza was born in 1793 and in 1811 married John Needles, as recorded by the minutes of that meeting. The Baltimore Monthly Meeting Western District recorded the births of their nine children between 1812 and 1834. Eliza died in 1840 and her sampler was left to her youngest daughter, Helen Matthews Needles and then to her daughter, Mary Roberts Trump, who wrote her name on the original backboard.
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With bowledte. eonS<.iv~n peace. ud Sacr.d. nbslubalaeMr facias Viruc.
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Eliza's sampler presents two excellent quotations, the first from James Thompson and the second from Edward Young, both are respected British poets of the first half of the 18th century. The verses that were hosen embody the Quaker philosophies espoused by the school. The legacy of samplers left by the early \ esttown teachers and students remains one of the most important traditions within the field of American needlework and we are pleased to offer this exemplary piece. \\'orked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into it original mahogany frame with its original backboard. ampler size: 9W' x ll W' Frame size: 12W' x 14W' Price: $5800. AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
19
20
Basket of Flowers, Silk Embroidery, America, circa 1835 Silk embroidered pictures were made by adolescent schoolgirls whose education within the needle arts had advanced beyond samplermaking. While the majority of these are memorial, allegorical or biblical, we also find some that are more like still life paintings. This is a very handsome composition of flowers and fruit, arranged in a low footed bowl with delicate handles and decorated with cross-hatching and a band of leafy design. The blossoms and leaves are shaded throughout and colors contrast and blend wonderfully; the palette is particularly harmonious. The brightly colored little bird perched on a stem adds a note of animation to it, as well. The early 19th century saw great interest in botany and the language of flowers, with specific significance and emotional content given to each blossom. The needleworker may have been aware of this, as articles and books on the subject were widely published in the period. Worked in silk on silk, this is in excellent condition. It has a later eglomise glass mat and is conservation mounted into its original gold leaf frame. Sight size: lSW' x 13W' Frame size: 19W' x 17W' Price: $5800.
M. Finkel 6j Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
21
Sally Parker, Pepperell, Massachusetts, circa 1799
Pepperell, Massachusetts is a small town near the state's northern border with New Hampshire, north of ', ·orcester. A small but important group of very large and fine pictorial samplers was worked there by three members of the Parker family between 1799 and 1808. Sally Parker's outstanding sampler is the earliest of Lhe e and it is very much like the sampler made by her first cousin, Mary Parker (their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers) in 1805 which is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Another ·these is the 1808 sampler made by Mary's sister Harriot and offered in our Samplings Catalogue XXXI. The daughter of Lemuel and Hannah (Gilson) Parker, Sally was born on February 13, 1786 and worked this sampler when she was thirteen years old. She featured a double-chimney Federal house with an elegant roofbalustrade, fence and gates, greatly similar to the house scene that appears on her cousin Mary's sampler. • e four lines of verse worked in small lettering are the same as were used by her cousin Harriot, and this, :1terestingly, was favored by many samplermakers in coastal Massachusetts, specifically Newburyport. Mary ally used the identical leafy vine around their name and age inscription near the bottom. Mary and Harriot each included the name of Pepperell on their work. All three samplers are surrounded at their outer es by the narrow border of continuous waves and they employ inner sawtooth borders. Sally's is the only sampler to include the unusual rounded-bottom vases with graceful long branches of flowers flanking her use and lawn scene. The similarities and the differences in these three samplers provide for a fascinating hlidy. The cousins clearly learned their needlework from the same teacher, who might have been a family ember, as well. e sampler was worked in silk on linen and has been conservation mounted. It is in a molded and carved k and gilt frame. ~pier
size: 21" x 21 W' Frame size: 23W' x 24W' Price: $14,500. AM ERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel6j Daughter.
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Silk Embroidery entitled "Nymphs of the Vineyard", Eliza A. Bradlee, Mrs. Peterson's Academy, Boston, circa 1815 An unusual and highly appealing silk embroidery, this was made by Eliza Ann Bradlee, of Boston, a young lady who attended a school on Cambridge Street, under the direction of Mrs. Sarah Peterson. This is the first known example that documents this school and is almost identical to another example that was exhibited at the Peabody Essex Museum in 2007 and 2008. Both examples depict two young ladies in fashionable, neoclassical styled gowns, one playing a tambourine and the other holding a tendrilled branch of grapes above her head. The title, "Nymphs of the Vineyard," likely referred to a popular subject of that period.
Mrs. Sarah Peterson advertised in the Boston Columbian Centinel, in April1813, that she was offering academic subjects in addition to the ornamental branches. She also was listed as a schoolmistress in a published 1813 Boston Directory. In 1816, Mrs. Peterson, evidently a widow, married Capt. Eleazer Cary, a mariner, and she may have ceased her teaching at that time. It is likely that, with the recent identification of the silk embroideries worked at Mrs. Peterson's Academy, more work will be attributed thusly. The needleworker, Eliza Ann Bradlee, was born circa 1807. She married James Pearson, also of Boston, in December, 1827. Eliza's silk embroidery survived with its original black glass mat with the inscription for many years; however this glass sustained several breaks. A faithful reproduction of it was made and the gold leaf frame is original to the embroidery. Size of the embroidery: 15W' x 17W' Frame size: 20W' x 22W' Price: $8500.
M. Finkel as Daughter. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
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Ann Ringrose, Isfield, Sussex, England, 1802 English needleworkers were capable of producing samplers with a great number of exquisitely worked motifs organized with a fine sense of order and balance. This highly appealing sampler, which epitomizes this English sensibility, was made by Ann Ringrose who was 14 years old in 1 02. The verse that Ann stitched includes the phrase, "Isfield Is My Dwelling Place," informing us at to her residence, which was a little lillage located on the River Ouse, approximately 44 miles south of London. She ended her inscription with the classic phrase, "When This You Se Remem I Ber Me So I May Not Be Quite For Gotten." . lany animals, birds, architectural renditions of Solomon's Temple, potted plants, pine trees, little hearts, rowned lions and Adam and Eve under the apple tree are amongst the <1reat assortment of subjects that embellish this splendid sampler. 'orked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a tiger maple frame. Sampler size: 16" square Frame size: 19" square Price: $4800.
Three Miniature Friendship Samplers, England, circa 1801
The making of tiny presentation samplers to document friendship is one of the most endearing of the English traditions. Schoolgirls practiced stitching minute letters and made these little treasures for one another, owever few survive as they often remained unframed. These three bear an obvious relationship to one another although the initials indicate different makers; only the one on the left is dated. The center one :eatures a delightful verse wishing well to the recipient. They are each bound with original silk ribbons and were worked in silk on wool. Now conservation mounted into a late 19th veneer frame. Sampler sizes: 3W' x 2W', 2W' x 3W', 3W' x 2W' Frame size: 5W' x 11 W' AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Price: $5000.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
24
Matilda Stedman, Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, 1828 Southbridge and Sturbridge are small towns in central Massachusetts, quite nearby one another, approximately 18 miles southwest of Worcester. A needlework teacher, Miss Lucetta Freeman, taught in Sturbridge in the 1820s and samplers worked by two of her students, sisters Sally and Lydia Fiske of Southbridge, in 1825, are illustrated in Glee Krueger's book New England Samplers to 1840 (figures 78 and 79). This charming sampler made by Matilda Stedman, also of Southbridge, in 1828, while not as pictorial as those by the Fiske sisters, bears specific characteristics of the teaching of Miss Freeman and must be clearly attributed to this school. With alphabets above and potted flowering plants and a fruit tree below, it offers a sprightly composition, executed in a delightful palette.
Matilda Stedman was born in Southbridge on April3, 1819, the daughter of Joseph and Matilda (Clark) Stedman. The Stedman family descended from Isaac Stedman who was born in Kent, England and emigrated to the colonies during the Great Migration of the 1630s and 40s. The family settled initially in Connecticut, with later generation removing to central Massachusetts. In 1844 Matilda married Ward Weeks Folsom (1822-1884) who was born in New Hampshire. The family resided in Southbridge, then in Lowell, Massachusetts where they operated a boarding house, as recorded in the 1853 Lowell Directory. They had five children and later removed to the west, setting up a boarding house in Taylor's Falls, Minnesota, north of Minneapolis. Matilda died in 1901. Her sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a beveled cherry frame with a maple outer bead. Sampler size: 8" x 17W' Framed size: 11" x 20W' Price: $4500.
M. Finke16S Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
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Hannah Dole, Rowley, Massachusetts, 1801 The verse inscribed on this fine piece is a variation of one that can be found on other samplers; scholars, curators and historians find this to be very helpful as it names the town where the sampler was made:
"Hannah Dole Is My Name & English Is my Nation & Rowley Is My Dwelling Place & Christ Is My Salvation." Notably, many American samplermakers used "English is my dwelling place" or sometimes "English is my Station." This is a relatively large sampler with an appealing, straightforward demeanor. It presents alphabets, the inscription, a cautionary verse and then a delightful lowermost register of a dog, deer, a lion, baskets and a tree. The animals on their little hillocks had been used in sampler design throughout the 18th century and while the square format of the sampler is indicative of its precise period, the pictorial elements are evocative of earlier samplers. The date was worked in the upper right corner, "this done AD 1801." Rowley is a small town located south of, and very nearby, Newbury and West Newbury, Massachusetts. An extensive search through town records (conducted at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the .lassachusetts Historical Society) turned up only one reference to a Hannah Dole in Rowley. Not a young girl, as expected, Hannah Dole was recorded in the 1810 census records, an adult head of household. She was later living in West Newbury in 1820, and in this case the census specifically indicated that she was a widow. Although the Dole family had ties to Rowley as early as the mid 17th century (according to Four Generations of the Descendants of Richard Dole A Settler of Newbury, Massachusetts by Noreen C. Pramberg), our researcher can state with certainty that no Dole family with a daughter named Hannah was living in Rowley at the very beginning of the 19th century. Knowing as we do that instructresses made samplers as teaching devices, we feel strongly that this sampler was made thusly. The majority of American samplermakers included their age as part of their inscription and the fact that this information doesn't appear on this sampler supports this theory. Hannah Dole was born Hannah Little in 1757 in Newbury, the daughter of Edmund and Judith (Adams) Little. In 1777 she married Capt. Samuel Dole and they had four hi ldren between 1778 and 1787. Although she was not ,;dowed until1805, Hannah may have been supporting the family for some years prior to her husband's death. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a veled cherry frame.
(detail)
Sampler size: 16%" x 17" Frame size: 20W' x 20W' Price: $4800. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
26
Mary Ann Taylor, England, 1833 While we admire the pleasing composition and excellent needlework presented by 11-year-old Mary Ann Taylor, it is the highly unusual verse that grants this sampler its appeal: "While
placing these Colours with patience and care I I've thought how indulgent my dear Parents are /While many poor Children must work for their bread I I am carefully clothed, instructed and fed I Then may it become my desire and prayer I 7b repay by my conduct their love and their care." This poem was most likely composed by Mary Ann's teacher as were many poems that were stitched onto samplers. The many large and small motifs were symmetrically arranged; in classic English style, and the finely worked band of carnations references fine 18th century sampler design. A splendid free-form border provides a praiseworthy framework. The sampler was worked in silk on wool and is in excellent condition with some very minor weakness to a few areas of the wool. It has been conservation mounted and is in a molded mahogany frame. Sampler size: 18W' x 12% Frame size: 20W' x 14%" Price: $3850.
Eliza Kenney, Cold Overton Asylum, Leicestershire, England, 1828 Samplers were made by young girls at fine private academies as well as at the orphanages, charity schools and residential asylums that educated the young girls who were from families of substantially lesser means. Cold Overton is a small village northeast of Birmingham, England and it there that John Frewen Turner, Esq., a benevolent lord of a manor, purchased a local estate, at the cost of more than 2000 pounds, and established the Cold Overton Asylum for Female Orphans in 1826. Twenty orphan girls lived and were educated there when it first opened. In 1828, Eliza Kenney produced this neatly worked sampler at the asylum. The education provided at orphanage schools often was religious in focus and dictated the nature of the quotations that were stitched onto their samplers. Eliza used words from Psalm 119 and the "Book of Job." The sampler was worked in silk on wool and is in very good condition with some minor weakness to the wool. It has been conservation mounted into its original black reeded frame. Sampler size: 12" x 8" Frame size: 14%" x 10%" Price: $1800.
M. Finkel e9 Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
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Mary Pearse, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1810 The samplers of Portsmouth, New Hampshire have been well document by Rita F. Conant and John F. LaBranch in their book, In
Female Worth and Elegance: Sampler and Needlework Students and Teachers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire 17 41-1840 . A full description of an 1810 sampler by Mary Pearse appears on page 79 - 80 and we offer this excellent sampler. In classic Portsmouth fashion, it features strawberry plants on hillocks and a large basket tilled with fruit. The poem worked onto six lines is one that appears on many American samplers of the early 19th century; additionally, "Honour father and mother Love sister and brother" were stitched below the inscription. Mary states that she was 8 years old when she completed this on July 22, 1810, and her aptitude with needle and thread is apparent. Another sampler worked by Mary two years later is also recorded in this book.
Born in 1801, Mary was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Henderson) Pearse who were both from prominent Portsmouth families. Mary died at age 17 in 1818. Her sampler was later in one of the best known American collections of the early 20th century, that of Mrs. Thomas A. Lawton, who lent her 187 samplers to an exhibition presented by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiques in 1913. American Samplers by Bolton and Coe recorded Mary's sampler in its groundbreaking survey of samplers (page 205) as well. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a molded mahogany frame. ampler size: 16W' x 8%"
Frame size: 18W' x 10%''
Price: $4200.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel as Daughter. .
28
Caroline E. Stoddard, Chesterfield, New Hampshire, circa 1835 This is a neatly worked alphabet and family record sampler made in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, which is located close to the Vermont border. The sampler is unsigned but is accompanied by an early family note indicating that, "This sampler was wrought by my mother Caroline E. Stoddard Martin." Caroline was the third child of Eleazer and Sally (Davis) Stoddard, who were married in 1815. They likely lived just north of town where Stoddard Road still exists today. Caroline was born on May 24, 1825 and we can assume that she was approximately ten years when she worked this sampler. In 1846, Caroline married a widower, Dr. Oscar Martin, a physician and merchant from Brattleboro, Vermont and later, Hinsdale, New Hampshire. A 19th century published history of Cheshire County, New Hampshire notes that Dr. Martin ultimately "relinquished practice and is engaged in the manufacture of his celebrated proprietary medicines, "Dr. Martin's Great Pain Cure of the Age" and ''Vegetable Elixir." Caroline and Oscar became the parents of at least two children, and the sampler descended to their daughter, Susan (Martin) Robertson, who wrote the note that accompanies the sampler. Worked in blue silk on off-white linen, it is in excellent condition, and has now been conservation mounted into a late 19th century veneer frame. Sampler size: 8W' x 14W' Frame size: 10" x 16W' Price: $2200.
Embroidered Picture, Russia, late 19th century This embroidered picture is an attractive example of the traditional needlework from Tver, a region northwest of Moscow, and one which is highly regarded for this craft through the 19th century. Portrayed in high stylization are pairs of figures, horses, peacocks and ships centered on a wonderfully patterned structure. It is likely that this piece was originally part of a longer embroidered cloth that was used during a ceremony such as marriage. Other known examples from this region are worked in a similar palette of predominantly red and white, which we find to hold great appeal. Worked in wool on cotton, this is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a painted, molded frame. Size of the needlework: 16W' x 13W' Frame size: 18%" x 15%" Price: $1600.
M. Finke16i Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
29 The following three samplers have an unusual and fascinating provenance. For many years they were in the collection of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero (1863-1924), of Vienna, Austria. After her death, the large collection of many samplers as well as furniture, porcelain and paintings descended to her heirs, members of a wealthy Jewish banking family. In 1839 the entire collection was confiscated by the Nazi regime and then transferred to the Staatliche Kunstgewerbemuseum of Vienna; now know as the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (MAK). The samplers were stored there until the spring of 2003 when the Austrian government finally restored ownership of the entire collection to the rightful heirs of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero. Some of these items were then sold by the family.
(sampler is shown actual size)
Sarah Smith miniature sampler, England, circa 1800 Provenance: Collection of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero Diminutive scale and carefully wrought tiny motifs make miniature samplers one of the most endearing forms of needlework. This fine example is inscribed "Sarah Smith Born September 27 1787'' and bears the verse "I love The Lord and he will be a tender Father unto me." The samplermaker used a wonderful assortment of colored silk threads and stitched traditional English elements: hearts, crowns, dogs and a central potted stylized plant, all within a dark blue tiny geometric border. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted in a period frame. Sampler size: 3W' x 4W' Frame size: 5" x 6" Price: $3200.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
30
Pattern Block Sampler, Germany, circa 1750 Provenance: Collection of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero, see page 29 This outstanding German sampler was worked with exceptional skill and has retained its vibrant, original color. The needleworker very successfully used a broad palette of colors and a sophisticated vocabulary of stitches, including cross, Irish, queen's and eyelet, to form twenty different patterned blocks. The use of patterned blocks was not unusual in Northern European samplers, but the quality and condition of this example render it quite rare.
The upper center block features initials which are probably those of the maker and possibly her family, schoolmates, and teacher. Most significant are the three figures: a nun holding hands with two little girls, each of whom are holding flowers. Although we have never seen a nun featured on a sampler, this is logical in that needlework was often taught in the convents and Catholic schools in Europe. The sampler is in excellent condition, worked in silk on linen with a silk binding, conservation mounted in a carved black painted period frame. Sampler size: 9W' x 11 W' Frame size: 11 W' x 13W' Price: $6800. (detail)
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
31
Ann Hollensbee, England, 1772 Provenance: Collection of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero, see page 29 This wonderful English sampler is most unusual in its concept and composition, being mostly fully worked and having color blocks that retain their brilliant hues of blue, cranberry, pink, yellow, red, tan, brown and black. The upper portion features two heart-bearing crowns, a spotted leopard, a dog and fruit basket, and, most significantly, two guards flanking a castle. The guards' distinctive scarlet and gold uniforms may well indicate that they are "Beefeaters," the Yeomen Warders who guard the Tower of London, which has housed the crown jewels since the 14th century. Henry XVIII established this special guard in 1485 and their scarlet tunic dress uniforms date from 1552.
Included in the lower portion of the sampler are classic sampler motifs, including a potted flower, a decorative urn of pink roses, as well as an apple tree with twisted branches. This specific tree can be found on 17th and 18th century Northern European needlework and was brought by the Dutch to the New World, where it appears in New York Biblical school samplers. Ann inscribed her sampler within a heart-shaped cartouche, "Ann Hollensbee I May 13 1772 I Aged 13 Years." The uppercase letters, as well as the border of the heart, are worked in eyelet stitch, displaying Ann's fine needlework skill. She was likely the daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth Hollinsby and was christened on October 18, 1768 at Saint Edmunds, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. The sampler is worked in silk on linen and remains in excellent condition, conservation mounted in a black painted frame. Sampler size: 11" x lOW' Frame size: 14\4'' x 13%" Price: $18,000. AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel e9 Daughter.
32
Rebekah Gould, England, circa 1830 Young needleworkers were occasionally assigned printed text to reproduce with precision, as a part of their needlework projects. The content chosen for this sampler makes it that much more interesting, and Rebekah Gould certainly stitched the lettering with exactitude. We are certain that Rebekah Gould was in England; however her subject was "Address to the Evening Star by Richard Nisbet." Both the publication and the author were from Philadelphia. Richard Nisbet, Esq. was "a lunatick in the Pennsylvania Hospital;" this was possibly due to his pro-slavery stance, a subject on which he was very vocal, published several texts, and was known for a prominent public debate conducted on the topic with one of Philadelphia most prominent citizens, Dr. Benjamin Rush. Interestingly, it was Rush's work in reforming the treatment of mental patients that lead to the establishment of humane asylums in the Philadelphia area. Richard Nisbet's poem was original published, circa 1810, in Port Folio, a literary magazine published in Philadelphia, and later reprinted in several other publications. In The Gospel Advocate, by Joseph W. Ingraham, 1823, "Address to the Evening Star" was reprinted on page 285 with an introduction by Clericus who stated that Nisbet's writing, "derives its chief interest from having been written by one in the most hopeless state of mental derangement." Worked in silk on wool, Miss Gould's sampler remains in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted in a period maple frame. Sampler size: 17W' x 12W' Framed size: 21 W' x 161;.4'' Price: $2400.
Sailor's Woolie, England, circa 1855 A form of sailor's needlework, "woolies" were created in the mid 19th century by sailors who were adept with needle and thread. These decorative pictures often portray ships on the seas; this is an unusual depiction of a sailor from the Crimean War and a canon, positioned in front of a crenellated fort with a sailing ship approaching in the harbor. Woolies are always solidly stitched and the texture created is greatly appealing. This is a small and tightly worked example. Made of wool on linen and is in excellent condition, this has been conservation mounted into its fine original beveled rosewood frame with a gilt liner. Sight size: 6%" x 9W' Frame size: 10" x 12%" Price: $2600.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
33
Pair of Miniature Needlework Pictures on Paper, signed C. Bunney, England, circa 1830
These two miniature landscapes were stitched with long satin stitches onto paper, an unusual form within the needlework field. The lustrous silk shows beautifully against the matte paper, and the overall effect is quite charming. The first depicts a wonderful windmill house with stairs leading down toward a smaller house; a flock of simply stitched birds fill the space between the two structures. A man and his horse are situated amongst the bushes on the green lawn, and wispy clouds surround the windmill. The second needlework portrays a scene with a large brick house connected to a brick bridge. Depth is shown as the river flows back past another house to another bridge in the distance. A large delicate tree stands in the foreground, its leafy top commingling with the same stratus clouds. Original labels remain on the back paper of each frame. The framer, T. H. Potter, seems to have been better known for his taxidermy in Billesdon; a very small village in Leicestershire, England. The two pictures remain in excellent condition with very minor foxing to the paper ground.
Size of the needlework: 4" square each Frame size: 8W' square each Price for the pair: $1400. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel e; Daughter.
34
Phebe Ackennan, Fishkill, New York, 1831 Phebe Ackerman was born on September 3, 1821 in Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York, 65 miles north of New York City. She was of Dutch decent, as was much of the population in that area. Her parents, Matthew Van Benschoten Ackerman and Helen M. (Van Bramen) Ackerman married in 1818 at the Reformed Dutch Church and had five children, including Phebe and her twin sister Caroline. Matthew, a sixth generation descendant of David Ackerman who came to America in 1662, was a farmer and a commander of a militia, dubbed by his acquaintances "Captain Matty," according to published family records. In 1852 Phebe married Merrit M. Van Wert, as his second wife. Census records show that in 1860 Phebe and her son, Merrit Jr., were residing on the Ackerman family farm. We offer her nicely accomplished sampler, which she eloquently and unusually notes, was "delineated by Phebe Ackerman aged 10 years 2 weeks 3 days Anno Domini 1831." Phebe's inscription is flanked by two fine baskets of flowers each worked in a variation of queen's stitch. The border is a double vine of strawberries and clover. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition with minor weakness to the linen. It has been conservation mounted into a molded and painted frame. Sampler size: 15W' x 17"
Frame size: 17W' x 12"
Price: $2300.
Margaret Spender, England, 1810 Many of the samplers made in the 17th and early 18th centuries in Germany and Northern Europe include the bold pictorial elements that were first published in Germany in the 16th century, precisely to be used as needlework patterns. This English sampler, which exhibits characteristics of these very early German patterns, affirms that these motifs traveled internationally and were widely referenced for a great many years after they were first distributed. The specific motifs that can be traced to early patterns include the beautifully worked large central motif of a tulip and two carnations filling a double-handled vase, and the swan with its craning neck set inside a dark green square. Margaret Spender stitched this pleasing pictorial piece in 1810, and also included some smaller motifs that have their origins in English samplermaking: the little man and woman, hearts, birds and the dog. Worked in silk on tan linen, the sampler remains in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a molded gilt frame. Sampler size: 12W' x lOW' Frame size: 15JA" x 13W' Price: $2600.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
35
Lydia Visscher, Albany Female Academy, Albany, New York, 1830 Between 1810 and 1840 a great many academies and seminaries were established in mid-size American towns along the east coast, as well as out wesl These schools educated the sons and daughters of the growing population of the country and were a source of great pride to the citizens of each town, well-chronicled in newspapers and published histories. The Albany Female Academy was founded in 1814 and remains today (now called the Albany Academy for Girls), the oldest independent girls' day school in the United States. We have previously owned the 1830 sampler made by Margaret Trotter Lush inscribed "Albany Female Academy," and the very clear and strong similarities between the Lush sampler and this, by Lydia Visscher in Albany, leave no doubt as to the school that Lydia attended when she worked this excellent sampler. Both Lydia and Margaret featured a fine house set on a lawn with the same trees and fence on their samplers. Lydia included what seems to be a pair of recumbent cows or very large dogs and both samplers are surrounded by a border of the same stylized vine design. Lydia signed her work in pale pink thread: "Lydia Visscher Aged 8 Years Albany 1830" (note the use of the early, long form of the letter "s" in her name). We were fortunate to have found an 1835 article in the Albany Evening Journal, a daily newspaper, which published a lengthy article regarding the Albany Female Academy and the accomplishments of their students. Miss Lydia Visscher is mentioned twice: for her academics and, quite remarkably, for accomplishments in her needlework. A copy of this is included in the file that accompanies the sampler. The Visscher family was one of the many of Dutch heritage that settled Albany in the mid 17th century. Lydia's great-greatgreat grandfather, Harmen Bastiaense Visscher was born in Holland in 1619 and by 1666 was Surveyor of Albany. Lydia was born on January 22, 1822, one of the eight children of Johannes B. Visscher and his wife Catherine Willet; Johannes died three years after her birth. The family remained in Albany where census records show Lydia, unmarried, in 1860 living with her widowed mother and two brothers. The family was one of substance as the brothers both listed their occupation as "gentleman." The sampler was worked in silk in linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a period maple veneer frame. Sampler size: 16" x lSW'
Frame size: 19%" x 19W' Price: $8200.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel as Daughter.
SELECTED NEEDLEWORK BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Gloria Seaman. Family Record Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework. Washington, DC: DAR Museum, 1989. A Maryland Sampling: Girlhood Embroidery, 1738-1860, Maryland Historical Society, 2007. Bolton, Ethel Stanwood and Coe, Eve Johnston. American Samplers. Boston: The Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1921. Browne, Clare and Jennifer Wearden. Samplers from the Victoria and alvert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1999. Edmonds, Mary Jaene. Samplers and Samplermakers, An American Schoolgirl Art 1700-1850. New York: Rizzoli, 1991. 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, Pa, 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. Quaker School Girl Samplers from Ackworth. Needleprint & Ackworth School Estates Limited, 2006. Ivey, Kimberly Smith. In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1997. Krueger, Glee F. A Gallery of American Samplers: The Theodore H. Kapnek CoUection. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. New England Samplers to 1840. Sturbridge, Massachusetts: Old Sturbridge Village, 1978. Parma!, Pamela A Samplers from A to Z. Boston, Massachusetts: MFA Publications, 2000. 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. Staples, Kathleen, This Have I Done: Samplers and Embroideries from Charleston and the Lowcountry. Curious Works Press and the Charleston Museum, 2002. Studebaker, Sue. Ohio Samplers, School Girl Embroideries 1803-1850. Warren County Historical Society, 1988. Ohio Is My Dwelling Place. Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2002. Swan, Susan B. Plain and Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Conservation lounting of Antique Samplers and Needlework Because of the importan ro e ~ • o -· o la_ - in the tleld of antique samplers and needlework, we strive to insure that these pie e_ ... r-:So ro er r ·en·ation while in our care. Below is a step-by-step ,~ roc --. Our techniques are simple and straightforward; we description of the 'consen:a ·or. remove the dust and dirt parti e_ '":"<:·- I_. ne\'er ,·et -cleaning the textiles. We use only acid-free materials and museum-ap - ·hrou<' out the process. Please call us if you have any questions in this regard. 0
Carefully clean
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Mount it by means o ·; fabric app ropriate o - e
-free mu eum board that has been slip-cased with e arne time tabilize any holes or weak areas. u- om-make a reproduction of an 18th or early attem .
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. i · appropriate, done in correct antique manner.
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When nece sary, i --- I ultraviolet light.
- n·a ion Clear glass which blocks 97% of the harmful
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·or · i· properly spaced away from the glass, the wooden ·hed with special archival tape.
detail of sampler by Jane E. Birchard, page 17
detail of sampler by Sally Parker, page 21
detail of sampler by Lydia Visscher, page 35
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 www.samplings.com