VOLUME XXVII
A SELECTED OFFERING OF ANTIQUE SAMPLERS AND NEEDLEWORK
est. 1947
M. Finkel as 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 Janey Whitcher, Canterbury school, New Hampshire, 1802 page 11
Copyright Š 2005 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 XXVII ... We hope that you enjoy this catalogue, which is our 27th issue; we thank all of you for your continued and growing interest in this field. 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. This year marks the 58th 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 out-of-town 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. 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 knowledgeable and helpful. Payment may be made by check, VISA, Mastercard, or American Express, and we ask for payment with your order. Pennsylvania residents should add 6% sales tax. All items are sold with a five day return privilege. Expert packing is included: shipping and insurance costs are extra. We prefer to ship via UPS second day or Federal Express, insured. We look forward to your phone calls and your interest. Amy Finkel Morris Finkel Jamie Banks
www.samplings.com Please check our website for frequent updates
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.
AM ERi cA's L EADI NG sAMPL ER AND
EE DL EwoRK DEAL ER
M. Finkel & Daughter.
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS Maria de Los Angeles Abiranet, Spain, circa 1820 ... .. ... ......... ................... page Hannah T. Bailey, West Newbury, Massachusetts, 1838 ................................ page Elizabeth Ballard, Boston, 1762 .................................................. page Mary Brinton, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1844 ................................. page Temperance Britten, England, 1782 ............................................... page Buttonhole Sampler, initialed ACP, Germany, dated 1791 ......... .... ........ .. ...... page Permela Chapman, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1821 .................................. page Coat of Arms, England, circa 1800 ................................................ page Abigail Davis, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1820 .................................. page Leah Deisinger, York, Pennsylvania, 1848 .......................................... page Ann M. Donnell, New York Biblical Sampler, 1768 ................................... page Folwell School, A. Sheridan, Philadelphia, circa 1810 ................................ page Catherine Gracey, Philadelphia Presentation Sampler, 1824 ... ... .... ................. page Susanna Herron, Pennsylvania, circa 1820 ..... ..... .......... ... ........ .. ........ page Leah Hershberger, Pennsylvania German, 1836 ... .............. .... ........... ..... page Hornbook, St. Pauls Infant School, England, 1729 ................................... page Lucy Learned, Watertown, Massachusetts, 1808 .... ............... .. ........... ..... page Margaret Emily Lukens, Warren County, Ohio, 1855 ................................. page Pamelia Jane Munroe, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 1830 ................... ........... page Mary A. Paschall, Westtown School, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, 1825 .................... page Hannah Pearley, Haverhill, Massachusetts, circa 1789 ................................ page Reward of Merit from Mrs. Bazeley's Seminary, Philadelphia, 1823 ...................... page Harriot Richards, Map of England, 1799 ................ . .. ..... ........ ........... page Martha Ann Seitz, Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania, 1833 ... .. ... ............... ...... .... page Spot Motif Sampler, England, mid 17th Century ..................................... page Rebecca Webb, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1787 .................................. page Lydia Wells, "Cupid and Psyche," Boston, circa 1815 .. ..... . .... ................ ..... page Janey Whitcher, Canterbury school, New Hampshire, 1802 ............................ page Hannah Winchell, Family Register, Topsham, Maine, 1822 .......... .......... ........ page Maria Wood, Brandon, Northumberland, England, 1822 .............................. page Edith Paul Worrall, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania, 1810 ................................ page Fanny Wyman, Danvers, Massachusetts, 1799 ..... .... .............................. page
detail of sampler by Margaret Emily Lukens, Warren County, Ohio, 1855 page 23
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. Al\IERicA¡s L EAD I
c sAl\ IPL ER
A1~D J
EEDLEwoRK DEALER
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Hannah Pearley, Haverhill, Massachusetts, c. 1789 Samplers made in Haverhill, Massachusetts in the 18th century reveal a fresh, folk quality that place them amongst the most desirable of American samplers. Scenes of couples on hills with animals and fruit trees appear on the best of the Haverhill samplers and Hannah Pearley's sampler is an icon within this group. Hannah's sampler is published as figure 141 in Betty Ring's
Girlhood Embroidery, vol I, and Mrs. Ring observes that these splendid samplers suggest the enduring influence of a talented and respected schoolmistress in this town on the Merrimack River in northwestern Essex County. Hannah Pearley states on her sampler that she was born the fifth of August, 1777; she was the youngest child of John Pearley, a farmer and tailor, and his wife Hannah Green Pearley. John, who fought at the battle of Lexington, died of small pox when Hannah was just a year old. Hannah married Moses P. Payson, Esq., who was, according to published family genealogies, the most prominent citizen of Bath, New Hampshire and the first preceptor of Haverhill Academy. It is a privilege to offer this sampler, which embodies the best of American samplers and folk art. It is in excellent condition and was worked in silk on linen. Conservation mounted, it is in a period
black molded and carved frame. Sampler size: 13W' x 10 ~"
Price upon request.
A I ERICA's LEADING sAMPLER A D NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel e:J Daughter.
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Maria Wood, Brandon, Northumberland, England, 1822
Some very beautifully made samplers come from northern England and we are pleased to offer this stunning example, worked in 1822 by Maria Wood of Brandon, a small town at the northern tip of England. It is not surprising therefore that a strong Scottish influence is apparent on Maria's sampler as evidenced by the pair of stylized diamond-patterned trees and the pairs of peacocks and prancing deer. All of the needlework is of the finest quality. Many thousands of tiny stitches make up the large Georgian house with its deep blue windows and door and the intricate border is also very finely worked. The many birds, pair of large butterflies, angel heads and the sun, moon and little stars are whimsical elements that add to overall composition and appeal. Maria also included her initials, in lowercase letters, which appear in two small diamond motifs. The verse is one which both English and American samplermakers included on their samplers. Written by noted English poet, Alexander Pope (1688-1744), it first appeared as the 1Oth of the 13 stanzas of the "Universal Prayer." Worked in silk on linen gauze, the sampler is in excellent condition with very minor weakness to the linen. It has been conservation mounted into its original maple frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 14" x 14W'
Price: $7800.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AM ERI CA's LEAD ING sAl\ lPLER AN D NEEDLEwo RK D EA L ER
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Lydia Wells, "Cupid and Psyche" Silk Embroidery, Boston, circa 1815 Silk embroidered pictures were created by young ladies whose education and skills in the needle arts had advanced beyond the making of samplers. The subject matter of these embroidered and watercolor pictures included memorials, religious scenes, illustrations of popular novels and depictions of Greek myths. This very appealing silk embroidery depicts a scene from the story of Cupid, the son of Venus, and Psyche, a beautiful young mortal woman. Psyche is repeatedly visited by Cupid, who has fallen in love with her and this needleworker has depicted a scene in which Cupid visits Psyche. In order for their relationship to continue, Psyche is ordered by Cupid never to look at him. Eventually Psyche disobeys this command, looks at him and their love is lost. This important and outstanding silk embroidery is accompanied by an excellent family history and was published in American Needlework by Georgiana Brown Harbeson (1938) as figure 2, opposite page 87. It was owned by a descendant of Miss Wells at that time and the family provided excellent documentation of the maker and the subsequent generations that owned the embroidery. Lydia Wells was born in 1 00 to a coppersmith, Benjamin Tuttle Wells, and his wife, Lydia Appleton Wells, whose 1799 marriage in Boston was recorded in church records. Our Lydia married Andrew Townsend Hall in 1823. According to the published Hall family genealogy (1883), Mr. Townsend was a foreign banker, and a very ' ealthy and distinguished citizen. They became the parents of a son and daughter, and the silk embroidery descended to their daughter Marian. The file that accompanies the sampler includes much research and a copy of the 1822 will of Lydia's father. \ orked in silk, ink and watercolor on silk, it is in excellent condition in its fine original oval carved gold leaf frame. ize of the needlework: 9 ' X ll W'
AMERICA's LEADING sA!'vlPLER AND NEED L EwoRK DEALER
Price: $32,000.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Hannah T. Bailey, West Newbury, Massachusetts, 1838
An excellent group of samplers, worked in the towns of Newbury, West Newbury and Newburyport in the northeasternmost corner of Massachusetts, share some very appealing characteristics that endured for many decades. For example, samplers from this group that were made in the 1780s feature the same pair of folky parrots on a hilly lawn that Hannah T. Bailey used on this winning little sampler which she worked in 1838. Born on March 5, 1825, Hannah was the youngest child of Daniel and Sarah (Noyes) of West Newbury. As she stated, she was 13 years old when she worked her sampler. Later Hannah married Asa Gage, a stonecutter: they became the parents of at least two children and lived in nearby Haverhill, where she died in 1885. The wonderfully morose lines read, "Press on for in the grave there is no work I And no device Press on while yet ye may." Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a period mahogany molded frame. Sampler size: 11 W' x 12W'
Price: $9200.
M. Finkel eÂť Daughter. M.IERICA's LEADING sA~\IPL E R A
D NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Abigail Davis, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1820 The samplers of Burlington and Gloucester Counties form \ hat is widely felt to be one of the most sought after types of American samplers. They can include folky scenes with strong personal characteristics and are generally worked by schoolgirls with substantial talent. Abigail Davis' sampler is one of the more important of these samplers to come to light in recent years. Abigail, a twelve year old from a Quaker fami ly residing in the small town of Almonesson, may have attended school in nearby Burlington County as the influence of that area is much in evidence on this praiseworthy ampler. The beautifully realized brick Federal house is flanked by pine trees and large, animated parrots. Flowers spring from the pair of square flower pots which were fully worked in the queen's stitch, requi ring exceptional skill. The graceful curvilinear border, in classic Burlington County fashion, is well designed and executed. The inscription includes a quotation from the "Universal Prayer" by Alexander Pope, noted English poet. Abigail also recorded the births of her parents using the phrasing of the Quakers, "Born the 11th of the 5th Month." Born on August 15, 1808, Abigail was the eighth of nine children of James Davis (1764-1853) and Mary Hackney Davis (1769-1832). Information about this family was published in the Bulletin of the Gloucester Countv Historical Societv, June 1956, and indicates that our samplermaker, Abigail, died in 1828 at age 20. The 1832 will of James Davis is in the collection of the New Jersey State Archives and a copy of it is included in the research file which accompanies this sampler along with other various family papers and announcements. Abigail 's sampler was published in the 1921 book, American Samplers by Bolton & Coe; interestingly, even at that early date the sampler was in the hands of a prominent collector.
Sampler size: 18" x 18"
Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a mahogany cornerblock frame. Price: $28,500.
AME RI CA's L EADI NG sAM PL ER AN D NEE DL EwoRK D EALE R
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Permela Chapman, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1821 This simple but appealing marking sampler was worked by Permela Chapman, who was 10 years old in 1821. A marking sampler was generally the first project undertaken by students, as letters and numbers stitched onto household linens were the method of keeping track of the rotation of valuable household textiles. Permela also included trees, a basket of fruit and two large sets of her initials. Included in the inscription is the place name of Hanover, New Hampshire which would have been where Permela attended school; the Chapman family lived just south of Hanover in Plainfield, where Col. Levi Chapman married Permela Colburn in 1809. Their eldest child was our samplermaker, born in 1811. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled curley maple frame. Sampler size: 714'' x 17" Price: $4200.
Temperance Britten, England, 1782 This very unusual silk embroidered picture illustrates a scene from the early English poem entitled, "The Children in the Wood." This poem became a popular ballad by the 17th century and was familiar to adults and children across the English countryside for generations. The story is one of two children who were deserted in the woods and are shown here picking berries, with four lines from the ballad worked in extremely delicate stitches which read, "There pretty lips with blackberries I Were all besmearched and dy'd I And when they saw the darksome night I They sat them down and cried." The scene has a naive charm not commonly found with details such as the pale blue sashes to the girls' patterned dresses and the thicket of berry bushes, worked in chenille threads. The black silk used to form the lettering is almost impossibly fine. A handwritten history from the back of the frame indicates that the needleworker was Temperance Britten, age 14 in 1782. It is in excellent condition in its original gold leaf frame. Size of the oval: 714'' x 6\12''
Price: $4800.
M. Finkel e!S Daughter. M IERi cA¡s LEAD !
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A~IPLER AND
EEDLE WO RK D EA L ER
Catharine Gracey, Philadelphia Presentation Sampler, 1824
I is a privilege to offer this outstanding sampler, a classic Philadelphia Presentation type and a new discovery ,;thin this group. These samplers were worked between approximately 1816 and 1839, and have been the ¡ocus of scholars and collectors for decades. They generally feature a beautifully worked low basket filled with queen's-stitched berries, grapes and sprigs of flowers with leafy, flowering branches above. Additionally they make use of blue shaded architectural plinths which surround the inscriptions and well-defined sawtooth inner borders with fine, wide outer borders. Catharine Gracey's sampler very closely resembles the sampler owned by Betty Ring and made by Mary Ann Boyd, dated 1831 and published as figure 69 in Mrs. Ring's American Needlework Treasures, and the sampler made by Elizabeth Miskey, dated 1822, figure 401 in Mrs. Ring's Girlhood Embroidery, owned by the CooperHewitt I Smithsonian. The fine border worked by Catharine Gracey is very similar to the border on the Miskey sampler, but Catharine's overall needlework is of a higher quality than that on either of the other two samplers. Catharine was born April 18, 1811 in Philadelphia to William Gracey and his wife Agness Craig, both of whom were born in Ireland. Catharine was the last of their ten children and she did not marry. Both of her parents died in 1835 and Catharine is mentioned in her father's will, of which we have a copy. Catharine worked her sampler when she was 13 years old ("in her 14th year") in 1824. She later, very carefully, unstitched the last numeral of the year so that her age would not be revealed to anyone who admired her sampler. This was a relatively common practice amongst samplermakers. A very good file of genealogical research accompanies the sampler. Worked in silk on linen and in excellent condition, it has been conservation mounted in a mahogany beveled frame. Sampler size: 17" x 19Yz"
Price: $28,000.
Al\IERi cA's LEAD I c sAMPLER AN D NEED LEw o RK D EAL ER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Susanna Herron, Pennsylvania, circa 1820
Some of the finest American house and lawn samplers were worked in Pennsylvania in the first quarter of the 19th century; they can exhibit great naivete and charm while showing off the accomplishments of their young makers. Susanna Herron's splendid sampler, worked when she was just nine years old ("in the 10 year of her age"), is dominated by a wonderful three-story brick house with its side addition, chimneys, and fanlight window. Details such as the pump, rooster, trees, birds and, of course, the little galaxy of stars, add great character to the scene. Pots of flowers, baskets of fruit and little trees flank the inscription and religious poem, which were worked inside a sober black sawtooth framework. Many early schoolgirl samplers included moral precepts and cautionary texts, as religion was integral to the lives and education of the period. A strong and beautifully rendered border of folky flowers frames the sampler well. Worked in silk on linen, it is in very good condition with very slight loss to the silk lawn. Conservation mounted, it is in its original frame. Sampler size: 1514'' x 20W'
Price: $12,500.
M. Finkel as Daughter. Al\ IERI CA'S LEADING SA~IPLER Al
D NEE DL EWORK D EA LER
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Fanny Wyman, Danvers, Massachusetts, 1799 An important group of samplers was worked in the neighboring towns of Danvers and Salem, _1assachusetts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Fanny Wyman's large and splendid sampler, ,¡orked in 1799 in Danvers, is a new discovery belonging to this body of work. The composition of Fanny's sampler, with its wide borders of open-blossomed flowers on leafy vines and a low basket filled \'ith fruit, is almost identical to that of a sampler that was also made in Danvers and that is in the collection of Winterthur Museum. That sampler, by Beulah Puritan, is dated 1812, and it is interesting to note that these two samplers so closely resemble one another yet were made thirteen years apart. The Danvers style was an enduring one and there may have been one teacher responsible for imparting this high level of needlework and the specific design to students in this town over many years. The Wyman family traces its roots directly back to its immigrant ancestor, Francis Wyman, who was orn in England in 1618 and had settled in the Massachusetts town of Woburn by 1640. Along with hi younger brother, Francis became a highly successful tanner and bought much land in the area. The Francis Wyman House restored and on its original 1666 foundations is a national landmark and one of ~he three oldest houses in Massachusetts. Fanny Wyman was born on January 29, 1786 to Francis and Lucy Wyman who were married in Woburn in 1785. The family removed to Danvers as verified by Danvers' vital records. Fanny Wyman's sampler is quite large and beautifully worked. The verse reads as follows and is one of the most appealing to appear on schoolgirl samplers: "Next unto God dear parents I address I Myself to you in humble thankfulness I For all your cares and pains on me bestowed I And means of learning unto me allowed I Go on I pray and let me still pursue I The golden paths the vulgar never knew". Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a mahogany frame. Sampler size: 24W' X 22" Price: $34,000.
AM ERi cA' s L EADING sAMPLER AN D N EEDLEw o RK D EALE R
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Ann M. Donnell, New York Biblical Sampler, 1768 The Biblical Samplers of New York City, a fascinating and important group, was the subject of a scholarly article by Amelia Peck, curator at the Metropolitan Museum, in The Magazine Antiques, February of 2005. The earliest of these samplers, most of which are fully worked, date from 1746 to 1768 and share the same images illustrating specific biblical stories and the same overall composition and border designs. Eleven year old Ann M. Donnell worked one of these praiseworthy samplers and dated it "ST (September) THE 19 1768." We are very pleased to offer her sampler as many of these samplers are in museums and those in private hands rarely become available. Ms. Peck identifies the six biblical vignettes that appear on these samplers, some of which held particular significance for the families of the samplermakers, who were part of the community of Reformed Protestants in New York in the mid 18th century. Illustrated bibles may have provided the sources for these scenes, which are: Adam and Eve with the serpent (Gen. 3: 1-6), the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13: 3-8), Eve being created from Adam's Rib (Gen.2: 21-22), St. John the Evangelist with an Eagle Receiving the Book of Revelations on the Isle of Patmos, the Tree of Life Heavy with Fruit (Gen. 2: 9) , and Jacob's Dream at Bethel (Gen. 28: 10-16). Ann included some particularly whimsical details, such as the spotted dogs and deer, large black bird, peanut-shaped clouds and spindly trees. Her needlework is very fine and even throughout. Ann M. Donnell's sampler was discussed by Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, vol II, (The Biblical Samplers of Colonial and Federal New York) in conjunction with the sampler made by Elizabeth Elmendorph in 1766, in the collection of Winterthur Museu., figure 320. The sampler is fully worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition, with some loss. It has been conservation mounted and is in the 19th century frame that housed it for many years. Sampler size: 11" x 17%"
Price: $17,500.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AM ERICA' s L EADI NG sAl\ IP LER AI'ID NEED L EwoRK D EALER
Janey Whitcher, Canterbury school, New Hampshire, 1802 One of the most interesting types of sampler from New England was made in Canterbury and nearby tm ns in Merrimack ounty, New Hampshire. These samplers were ¡orked over a period of more than forty years eginning in 1786 and show ohesive regional characteri tics, most of the samplers -hare a highly appealing large basket of beautifully vorked flowers set on hillocks decorated with Jossoms, the scene then opulated with prominent, handsome birds. These samplers were the focus of an important exhiition at the Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, in 1990 entitled "Lessons Stitched in Silk: Samplers from the Canterbury Region of New Hampshire," in which thirty-three examples were exhibited. Additional research on this group was done by Betty Ring and published in Girlhood Embroidery, vol II, the section entitled, "The Bird and Basket Samplers of Canterbury." The maker of the praiseworthy Canterbury sampler that we offer is Janey Whitcher, who inscribed her sampler, "Janey Whitcher her sampler wrought in the 11th year of her age AD 1 02." Born October 3, 1791, Janey was the sixth of fourteen children of William and Anna (Sanborn) Whitcher of Northfield, the town just north of Canterbury. History of the Town of Canterbury (Rumford Press, 1912) published much information about the Whitcher family, specifically in regard to Janey's first cousin, Benjamin Whitcher. In 1782 Benjamin and his family joined Mother Ann Lee and the Shakers, donating one hundred acres of land which became the communal home of the Canterbury Shakers. Canterbury samplers that are similar to this by Janey Whitcher are in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the New Hampshire History Society. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted in its original mahogany frame. Sampler size: 17W' x 12"
Price: $26,000.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoR K DEALER
M. Finkel e:J Daughter.
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Hornbook, St. Pauls Infant School, England, 1729 While not a sampler or needlework of any form, we offer this outstanding brass hornbook which was used in the early 18th century at the St. Pauls Infant School, known to have been a part of the schools of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Hornbooks were used as early as 1400 to teach the alphabet to very young children and many were made with a printed paper mounted onto a paddle and a sheet of translucent horn covering and protecting the paper. This hornbook is brass with paint and is nearly identical to one • y in the collection of the Boston Public Library. Awell-regarded early collector ' of samplers, George A. Plimpton of New York (1855-1936), was also an avid collector of hornbooks and owned the largest collection in America, which he donated to Columbia University. In a 1927 interview, Mr. Plimpton spoke about the hornbook we offer and indicated that this was an unusual example; another St. Pauls Infant School hornbook, made of copper, was in his collection at the time. Size: 5%" x 2 W' Price: $6800
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Buttonhole Sampler, initialed ACP, Germany, 1791 This is a fine little sampler which demonstrates the art of making buttonholes, which, along with darning, was one of the more practical skills taught to samplermakers. Whitework decoration extends down in two vertical rows with an assortment of further whitework surrounding the eight buttonholes. Three stylized floral devices along with the maker's monogram and the date are toped with a coronet, all worked in very tight cross-stitches. Part of the collection of Emma-Henriette Schiff von Suvero (1873-1939), this sampler was placed in the collection of the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst in Vienna from 1939 until 2003. The samplers were recently restituted to the rightful heirs. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a molded and painted frame. Sampler size: 714'' x 5"
M. Finkel~ Daughter. MIERicA's LEAD I
Price: $2800.
c sMIPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
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Elizabeth Ballard, Boston, 1762 The significance of this outstanding sampler, worked in 1762 by Elizabeth Ballard, a young lady from a prominent Boston family, would be difficult to overstate. It combines the strong Boston sampler tradition, with its classic and recognizable bands and designs, and a fine canvaswork panel of the type equally important to this city's needleworkers throughout the 18th century. The tradition of Boston samplermakers including a depiction of Adam and Eve has existed since the 1720s and continued throughout the 18th century. Elizabeth Ballard's sampler features Adam and Eve in the pastoral setting associated with the Boston Fishing Lady group, with its hillocks, plants, birds, butterflies, etc. The very sophisticated broad border of carnations and long leafy elements appears only on one other known sampler, which is owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Mary Fleet, 1743), and these two young ladies must have learned their needlework under the tutelage of the same teacher. Elizabeth Ballard was the daughter of Capt. Samuel Ballard and Elizabeth Pickering who were married in Boston in 1741. She was their fifth child, born circa 1750. Capt. Ballard was involved in both shipping and sealing and was a maker of mathematical instruments in Boston. In 1768 Elizabeth Ballard married the Hon. Edward Pope (1739-1818) of Dartmouth and New Bedford, Massachusetts, a judge, olonel in the Revolutionary War, a naval officer of long standing and a leading citizen of the area. The Ballard family in America began with William Ballard who, along with his wife Mary and two infants, sailed from England to Massachusetts in 1635 as part of the Great Migration, settling in the town of Lynn. He died in 1639, but during his brief life in the new colony he was involved in the fo unding of that town. His son Nathaniel was Elizabeth's great great grandfather. The sampler is inscribed: "Elizabeth Ballard her sampelar Wrot November First I Ni Year 1762 Elizabeth Ballard is my name and with my I nedel I wrot the sam And if my skll had ben better I wo." This is a verse that appears with frequency on early Boston samplers ( " ... and with my needle I wrote the same and if my skill had been better I would have mended every letter."). Most interesting to note is an early needle, we assume it was one belonging to Miss Ballard, which remains pinned into the sampler in the lower left corner area of the sampler. For more information on samplers and canvaswork pictures from Boston, please refer to Betty Ring's,
Girlhood Embroidery, vol. I, Boston Embroideries in the Eighteenth Century, both the sections on Adam and Eve Samplers and on Fishing Lady Pictures. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in very good condition with weakness and minor loss. It has been conservation mounted and is in an excellent 18th century black painted frame with a wide sanded liner. Sampler size: 18~" x 16W' Framed size: 23W' x 21%" Price upon request AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel as Daughter.
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Mary A. Paschall, Westtown School, Chester Co.,
Pennsylvania, 1825 This is a classic Quaker marking sampler with handsome proportions and composition. The needlework was executed with characteristic Quaker precision, with no decoration or superfluous line. In fact, one must notice that twice the samplermaker, Mary A. Paschall, altered positions of the letters within the alphabet to achieve a better fit or greater balance. Mary was a student at the Westtown School, having entered in April of 1825, at age 10, following in the tradition of her mother Ann Gibson Paschall Jackson (1771-1874). Ann Gibson was a student at Westtown from 1806 to 1807 and two samplers made by her while there are in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. These samplers, a white-on-white darning sampler and a small geometric medallion sampler, were in the private collection of Mary Jaene Edmonds and then donated to the museum in 2000. Ann Gibson Paschall Jackson lived in Darby, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, and, as an adult became a Quaker minister of the Darby and Birmingham Monthly Meetings. A large collection of her manuscript diaries, extracts from journals, memo books, legal papers and business and farm diaries comprise the Ann P. Jackson Family Papers and are in the collection of the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Mary A. Paschall was born in 1815 to Thomas and Ann (Gibson) Paschall. Her father died in 1819 and Ann remained a widow for many years, marrying Halliday Jackson, also a Quaker minister, in 1833. In 1840, Mary married Philip Price Sharpless (1810-1902) of nearby West Chester, a farmer who also operated a brick-making business and later, was director of the West Chester Rail Road. Interestingly, it was said about Philip in 1882, that he was an antiquarian with a strong interest in genealogy and "an ardent collector of Indian Relics." Mary and Philip became the parents of five children and Mary died in 1885. Many publications of genealogical or historical nature include information on the Gibson, Paschall, Jackson and Sharpless families as they featured prominently in Quaker and civic affairs in the area. A large file of information accompanies the sampler. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a maple frame. Sampler size: 8" x 8W'
Price: $5200.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AM E RI CA's LEA DI NG sM IPL ER AN D NEED L Ew o RK DEALER
Hannah Winchell, Family Register, Topsham, Maine, 1822 The v inchell family lived in Topsham and Harpswell, coastal towns of southern Maine, throughout • e eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hannah Winchell worked this ambitious and sophistica ed Family Register sampler in 1822, recording her family's births. Later Hannah added information a· out her own marriage and subsequent family deaths. This important sampler was exhibited and ublished by the DAR Museum in Washington, DC in 1989 as part of their groundbreaking exhibit, Family Record: Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework. It appears as figure 90 in Gloria Seaman _ len's accompanying book of the same name. Hannah was born on September 30, 1801, the ninth of eleven children born to Samuel and Sarah ally) Fulton Winchell. Samuel was a fifth generation descendant of Robert Winchell who arrived in America in 1635, settling in Hartford, Connecticut. Hannah's great grandfather Samuel Winchell 1- 11 - 1783) was a man of considerable wealth and influence in Harpswell and Topsham, owning part :a vast mill in the area. In 1826, Hannah married Capt. George Gray of Bowdoinham and they · ecame the parents of a son, George Gray. Captain Gray died eleven months after their wedding. Thi sampler is notable for its impressive size as well as its extreme delicacy, a winning combination. The linen is very fine which makes it that much more difficult for a needleworker to accomplish her ilne lettering and decorative motifs. The large flowers on delicate vines, looped blue bowknots, grace:UI willow tree and letter-perfect inscriptions were accomplished in cross-stitch, French knots, satin - 'tch and eyelet stitch.
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Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition with some very slight loss. It has been conservation mounted into a bird's eye maple frame.
Price: $14,000.
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Lucy Learned, Watertown, Massachusetts, 1808
Schoolgirls from Cambridge, Lexington, Concord, Watertown, towns west and northwest of Boston, worked samplers that share strong regional characteristics, including the fine deeply arcaded outer border, narrow sawtooth inner border, pots of flowers, little birds outlined in black and the inscription framework formed from tiny squares. These samplers are an interesting group which has engaged scholars, curators and collectors for decades. Eleven year old Lucy Learned worked, in 1808, this excellent example of this group of samplers. The inscription, worked in pale and deep pink, was somewhat larger than the space allotted and it extends slightly and charmingly into its border; Lucy's surname and the word, "age" were stitched on top of its surround. The four line verse is one which was popular with teachers and samplermakers for many years. Lucy's parents were Samuel and Lucy (Coolidge) Learned who were married in Watertown in 1795 and became the parents of seven children born between 1796 and 1809. Lucy married Samuel Weeks Bickford, of Epsom, New Hampshire, west of Concord. They had seven children and by 1870 Lucy was a widow, living with her son Horace and his family in Epsom. Lucy died in 1892. The sampler is worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition; it has been conservation mounted into a 19th century beveled frame. Sampler size: 17W' x 13%"
Price: $5200.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AME RI CA's LEADI NG sA~IPLER AND NEE DLEWORK DE ALE R
Edith Paul Worrall, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania, 1810 Edith Paul Worrall, a twelve-year-old student in Ridley Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, made this handsome sampler in 1810. The scene depicted is one of a house set on a lawn with ducks and inclined willow trees; the verse is one that indicates how schoolgirls were encouraged to feel that their samplermaking rought them closer to a love of God. Additionally, Edith balanced her name and date with the words, .. incerity and Truth." Details such as the little dog in the lower right corner of the lawn, the gazebo and ump at the outer areas of the lawn and the fine border of berry bunches add further animation to this appealing sampler. Delaware County was formed in 1789; prior to then these prosperous towns and farmlands were part of hester County. The Worrall family lived in the area of Marple and Ridley Townships from the end of the 1-th century forward. Born in 1798, Edith was the daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Paul) Worrall and information about the family is included in Ashmead's History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, published in 1884. Ashmead writes that Edith's grandfather, William Worrall (1730-1826) and his contemporaries ould trace the path of William Penn and his travelers across the Worrall farm. Edith married Jacob Parry, a wealthy local farmer and they became the parents of three daughters. Edith died in 1852 and her sampler escended in the family for some generations. \'orked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a beveled figured cherrry frame. Sampler size: 18%" x 16" Price: $6200.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkei6S Daughter.
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Pamelia Jane Munroe, Family Record, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 1830 Genealogical samplers experienced great popularity in the early 19th century; according to scholar and curator Gloria S. Allen
(Family Record: Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework, DAR Museum, 1989), this form may be in fact an American invention. Mrs. Allen notes that the majority of these samplers were made in Massachusetts between 1810 and 1830. Family Record samplers that also feature fully developed house and lawn scenes are quite uncommon. On this outstanding sampler Pamelia Jane Munroe of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts included an excellent scene featuring an imposing three-story brick house on a lush lawn of trees, plants, birds and baskets. A sparkling pink inner sawtooth border and an extravagant outer border of pale blossoms, red buds and teal green leaves were worked in lustrous crinkled silk satin stitches. The important records of the family's births and deaths were worked in fine black cross stitch. Pamelia further acknowledged the loss of the family members with the aphorism, "They have gone from us," just above her initials and age. The Munroe family had its roots in Lexington, Massachusetts where William Munroe, the immigrant ancestor of this family settled by 1657, having been born in Scotland about 1625. By the middle of the 18th century, Nathaniel Munroe was living in Shrewsbury, a small town just southeast of Worcester. His ninth-born was Dana Munroe who married Pamelia Townsend, daughter of Timothy Townsend of the nearby town of Hopkinton. This fine sampler was made in 1830 by their daughter Pamelia Jane Munroe, who was born on April 15, 1817. Information regarding this family is included in the
History of the Town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts from its Settlement in 1717 to 1829, published in Boston in 1847 and History and Genealogy of the Lexington, Massachusetts Munroes, by Richard S. Munroe, 1966. Pamelia married Archibald McAllister on Christmas Day in 1849. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, and has been conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame. Sampler size: 17" x 16W' Price: $11,000.
M. Finkel es Daughter. A IERI CA'S LEAD I
G SA~ I PLER AND NEE DL EWO RK D EA LER
Mary Brinton, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1844 The Brinton and Cooper families were longtime members of the Sadsbury Meeting, a Quaker monthly meeting in southeastern Lancaster County. Mary Brinton was the daughter of William Brinton and Gulielma Cooper and her birth on April1, 1831 was recorded at Sadsbury, as was her marriage in 1861 to a Quaker minister, Joseph John Hopkins. ~lary' s charming little sampler, made in 1844 vhen she was 13 years old, shows the influence of classic Quaker design ombined with a particularly endearing house and lawn scene. Along with the alphabet and numers appears reference to . 1ary's two grandfathers, Jo eph S. Brinton and James M. Cooper. Information about this family is published in The Brinton Genealogy, (1924), along with a wonderful photograph taken in 1922 of Mary (age 91) and her sister, Susanna (age 89). Both ladies are wearing traditional Quaker garb and are seated outside the Sadsbury Meeting. The sampler descended to an adopted daughter, . label Brinton Hopkins.
\¡orked in cotton on linen, the sampler is in very condition with some minor redarning. It has been conservation mounted into a period cornerblock frame. ::>ampler size: 11%" x 9W'
Price: $4800.
Leah Deisinger, York Co., Pa., 1848 This sampler was worked in 1848 by eleven-year-old Leah Deisinger, who was born in 1838 to Jacob and Salome (Davis) Deisinger of York County, Pennsylvania. It displays a good variety of alphabets that gradually decrease in scale from the upper to lower portion of the sampler with narrow horizontal bands between each row. Leah did not marry and lived as an adult with her younger sister, Malinda Deisinger Holtzapple, in West Manchester Township, York County, according to the 1880 and 1910 census records. The sampler is worked in silk on linen, is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted in a period mahogany veneer frame. Sampler size: 1414'' x 9W'
M I ERi cA's LEADING sAMPL ER AND NEEDL EwoRK DEALER
Price: $3850.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Rebecca Webb, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1787 An outstanding group of strongly colored crewelwool embroidered pictures, samplers and small related needleworked objects was worked in Chester County between the years 1764 and 1791. These pieces share strong regional characteristics and highly recognizable decorative devices which include the bold open-faced blossoms and leaves on sturdy stems, generally depicted in a nicely decorated two-handled vase. This fine small embroidered picture, worked by Rebecca Webb in 1787, is an excellent recent discovery that adds to the known body of this needlework. Some of the other examples are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum and the Chester County Historical Society and have been illustrated in Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania by Margaret B. Schiffer.
Many of the young ladies who embroidered these pieces were from prominent Quaker families in Kennet Township in southeastern Chester County. Indeed, Rebecca Webb was the daughter of a farmer, Stephen Webb and his wife, Hannah (Harlan) Webb; the initials of her parents appear on Rebecca's needlework, flanking the central flower at the top, SW and HW. Stephen Webb died in September of 1787 and this fact is actually referenced on his daughter's sampler. The tradition in Chester County needlework was to use black thread to stitch the name or initials of the deceased and we note that usage here. Both the Webb and Harlan families had been in Chester County for many generations and were active members of the Kennet Monthly Meeting where they were married in 1766. Rebecca was the third of the nine children of Stephen and Hannah Webb, born September 14, 1772. In 1794, she married a farmer, Richard Baker, and they remained in Chester County where they became the parents of ten children between 1795 and 1813. Rebecca died in 1859 and is buried at Marshalltown Friends' Meeting House Burying Grounds. Worked in wool on tightly woven linen, it is in very good condition with very slight loss. It has been conservation mounted into a period black painted frame. Size of the needlework: 9W' x 8"
Price: $14,500.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. Al\ IERI CA's LEADI NG sAl\ IPL ER AND NEEDLEw o RK D EA L ER
Harriot Richards, Map of England, 1799 "The stitching of map samplers began in the eighteenth century, when school curriculums broadened to emphasize more practical subjects such as mathematics, geography, civics, and the natural sciences. To aid in the study of geography, girls created map samplers," according to Samplers From A to Z by Pamela A. Parma!, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This striking and meticulously worked sampler, A Map of England and Wales, made in 1799 by Harriot Richards, is one of the finest of this genre that we have known. The boundaries of the counties and the lettering were executed in very fine cross stitch and it is all urrounded by a border of beautifully realized chenille flowers tied with a shaded blue ribbon, also ' orked in chenille. Interestingly, the samplermaker placed blue fabric behind the linen in all areas excepting England and Wales. \ orked in silk and chenille on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted with a later eglomise glass mat and beveled maple frame. ize of the oval: 231fz'' x 201fz''
Framed size: 28" x 25"
AMER i cA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Price: $5400.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Maria de Los Angeles Abiranet, Spain, circa 1820 In 1998 the Hispanic Society of America in New York presented an exhibition entitled "Learning the Art of Embroidery: Nineteenth Century Spanish Samplers." From the earliest example in their collection, worked in 1834, to the later samplers, they displayed the highly decorative designs and beautifully executed patterns that characterize Spanish needlework. Panels and bands of intricate drawnwork were featured on some of the finest Spanish samplers and are central to the needlework on this splendid example. Signed, "Soy de mano de Maria de Los Angeles Abiranet" (I was made by the hand of Maria de Los Angeles Abiranet), the varied drawnwork is of excellent quality. The personification of the sun and moon is a particularly whimsical feature, one which is rarely found on needlework. In addition, Maria included surface embroidery to execute the graceful basket of flowers, and the delicate band of interlocking circles. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 23%" x 14%"
Price: $6800.
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M. Finkel ~ Daughter. MIERicA¡s LEADING sMIPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Margaret Emily Lukens, Warren County, Ohio, 1855 One rarely comes across a sampler that clearly celebrates America's independence. Margaret Emily Lukens of Warren County, Ohio worked such a sampler in 1855 on which she meticulously stitched the words of the Star Spangled Banner and further decorated her work with an eagle holding within his beak a banner proclaiming "LIBERTY" over the commemorative date of 1776. It is a privilege to offer this praiseworthy sampler, unique within the body of known needlework. \ arren County is in the southvestern corner of Ohio and the Lukens family, of Quaker origins, had in settled the area from the early 19th century. The first setlement of the county was established in 1795 and Warren County was formed in 1802, named for Gen. Joseph Warren \'ho fell at the battle of Bunker Hill. The population grew teadily as the settlers were attracted to the fertile farmlands ·et in gently rolling hills. Research indicates that Margaret Emily Lukens was the only child of a farmerand sawmill owner, John Lukens and his wife, Susanna Fawcett Lukens; .largaret was born in Warren County in 1827. She worked is sampler at age 28 when the family resided in Harveysburg. In 1859 Margaret married John E. LaFetra and they were recorded in the 1860 census as living in Lebanon, al o in Warren County. Further research will provide more information and may reveal that Margaret ·as teaching before her marriage; this would be consistent with the quality of needlework that she rod uced. The Star Spangled Banner enjoyed enormous popularity throughout the 19th century after it was .witten by Francis Scott Key in 1814 as he observed a battle of the War of 1812. A successful ·ashington lawyer, amateur poet and hymn-writer, Key watched the overnight battle at Fort McHenry a the entrance to Baltimore's harbor, and witnessed the extremely large battle flag, 30 by 42 feet, .,·hich had been ordered by Major George Armistead, commander of the fort. The British bombardment was fierce but the flag was still flying at dawn, inspiring Key's impromptu lyrics which were put ·o music within days. It wasn't until 1931 that, by Act of Congress, the song was made the official ation anthem . . largaret's sampler was indeed the work of a very accomplished needleworker. We can appreciate her •·ny and perfectly formed letters as well as the fine basket and extravagant border of large-blossomed owers on leafy vine. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in very good condition with some loss and weakness to the linen. It has been conservation mounted into its original mahogany frame. ~amp ler
size: 17W' x 17W'
Price: $22,000.
AME Ri cA's L EADI NG sAMP L ER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel e; Daughter.
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Leah Hershberger, Pennsylvania German, 1836 In 1831 a printer in Reading, Pennsylvania, Carl F. Egelmann, published a copybook with a pattern for needleworkers entitled, "For Marking on Linen." His patterns became very popular within the Pennsylvania German community and can be found on show towels and samplers, which was, of course, the intent. These motifs included the interesting elements, sections of bands or borders and the same three lines of alphabets and unrelated lettering that Leah Hershberger featured on her excellent little 1836 sampler. The row of charming potted evergreen tress however have not been documented on other samplers and may have been the invention of this samplermaker.
Leah stitched her name and the year of her work within horizontal compartments and added her initials to the end of the last line of lettering. Worked in linen and silk on linen, it is in excellent condition with very slight darkening to the linen. It has been conservation into its original molded frame. Sampler size: 9" x 81fz''
Price: $2800.
Coat of Arms, England, circa 1800 Heraldry arose in Europe in the 12th century as it became necessary to recognize one's friends and foes in battle. Although each soldier's face was concealed behind a protective helmet, his distinctive shield was immediately recognizable. Over time heraldry became highly regulated with a very specific language used to describe coats of arms. This interesting needleworked picture is a very finely stitched shield or coat of arms, a lovely image surrounded by a border of delicately entwined branches of leaves and flowers. The needlework was executed primarily in a technique called pattern darning, in which the various colored silks were meticulously threaded though the linen ground into prescribed patterns; the result of pattern darning is delicate and richly textured needlework. Worked in silk on linen, it remains in excellent condition and is conservation mounted in a black and gold carved frame. Sampler size: 8" x 6%"
Price: $1600.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Reward of Merit from Mrs. Bazeley's Seminary to Catherine M. Wray, Philadelphia, July 3, 1823
The study of samplers leads to a greater understanding and appreciation of the history of the education of young women and an appreciation of the same. This is a Reward of Merit, a testimonial to the effort and accomplishments of a student, Catherine M. Wray. Many academies, seminaries and schools presented Rewards of Merit, which frequently took the form of engravings on paper that were personalized and painted for deserving pupils. While not uncommon in the period, few survive. Mrs. Bazeley, along with her husband, Charles, lived in Philadelphia on 4th St. at Willings Alley where she conducted her seminary. Mrs. Bazeley designed the reward of merit herself and had it engraved by William Kneass, a very prominent engraver of the firm of Kneass & Dellaker. In January of 1824 Mr. Kneass was appointed to the highly prestigious position of Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. Interestingly, while this seminary did not include needlework in its curriculum, the composition and decorative elements of this piece bear strong resemblance to samplers and silk embroideries of the period. Specifically we note the flowering vine and the handsome tableau depicting young ladies in the pursuit of knowledge and refinement. Ink and watercolor on paper, it is in fine condition in a period maple cornerblock frame. Sight size: 10W1 x 13W1
Price: $3800.
AMERI CA's L EA DI NG sAM PL E R AND NEED L Ew o RK DEALE R
M. Finkel & Daughter.
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Spot Motif Sampler, England, mid 17th century
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We are pleased to offer this fine spot motif sampler worked in England circa 1640 to 1660; it exhibits twenty beautifully worked geometric designs each of which was executed in the queen's stitch. Spot samplers date from as early as the 1590s and were
being made into the later part of the 17th century; they are characterized by a haphazard arrangement of individual naturalized figures and geometric patterns.
Samplers from the Victoria and Albert Museum by Clare Browne and Jennifer Wearden, illustrates several spot samplers from that collection (plates 7 through 14) and states that these samplers were rarely signed or dated. Many known examples remain partially unfinished (refer to plate 12 of the same publication). In that this sampler was not framed until just recently, it is in pristine condition, retaining its strong, original color. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and has been conservation mounted into a gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 30" x 13" Price: $4200.
Martha Ann Seitz, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, 1833 Martha Ann Seitz was on born July 22, 1818 to Mennonites, David and Mary (Wade) Seitz of Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. David Seitz was a farmer and miller who lived initially near Strasburg and, by 1830, moved to Lancaster Township. Martha's sampler features a very good assortment of pictorial motifs: potted flowers, a basket of fruit, butterflies, flowers, various trees and many little birds with a nicely designed border providing a fine framework. The verse is an excerpt from a hymn entitled, "Religion" by James Montgomery (17711854), a Scottish writer whose works were published and would have been widely available; it reads as follows: "The mild Religion from above I Descends, a sweet engaging form I The messenger of hevenly love I The bow of promise in a storm." Martha married Christian Shirk and they lived in Franklin Co., Pennsylvania where they had at least one child, a daughter Mariah, born in 1844. Her husband was a drover (i.e., a driver of cattle or sheep). Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a curly maple and cherry cornerblock frame. Sampler size: 16W' x 17W'
Price: $5200.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. M IER icA's LEADI NG s Al\ IPL E R AN D NEE D LE WORK D EA L ER
Folwell School, "Virtue Leading Innocence to the Temple of Fame", A. Sheridan, Philadelphia, circa 1810
In Girlhood Embroidery (vol II, page 378), Betty Ring writes the following about the Folwell School, a Philadelphia institution run by Ann Elizabeth Folwell with the help of her talented husband, the painter Samuel Folwell. Pictorial embroidery on silk was popular in Philadelphia from the 1730s until the post-Revolutionary period, so it is not surprising that there was an early transition from the rococo style to neo-classicism in this largest of American cities with its keen interest in fashions from abroad. Yet it was not the newly arrived French or English drawing masters or embroiderers who initiated the style for lustrous urns and temples. Instead it was a native-born craftsman who managed to fan the flames of fashion and promote his patterns and his wife's embroidery school until their output became the largest body of neoclassical silk embroidery to survive from Federal America. Students who attended the Folwell school typically worked large embroidered pictures: memorials, allegorical subjects, biblical stories, popular illustrations and family portraits. A very few classical subjects are known to have been worked at the school as well, such as this outstanding and very handsome embroidery entitled, "Virtue Leading Innocence to the Temple of Fame." A small group of related silk embroideries has been documented, one which is in the collection of the Abby Aldridge Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Colonial Williamsburg. The variations are interesting and all feature the personification of Virtue, Wisdom or Experience, and a younger Innocence or Neophyte heading towards the Temple of Virtue, Fame or Happiness. The compositions are all quite similar to one another as well. The original eglomise painted glass indicates the maker to be A. Sheridan. The embroidery retains its fine original frame as well and is in excellent condition. Size of the embroidery: 17" x 18W'
Framed size: 25W' x 27"
M IERI CA's LEAD ING sAJ\IPL ER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALE R
Price: $18,000.
M.Finkel e=s Daughter.
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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. 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. Epstein, Kathy. British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1998. 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 F. A Gallery of American Samplers: The Theodore H. Kapnek Collection. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. New England Samplers to 1840. Sturbridge, Massachusetts: 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. Staples Epstein, Kathy, Tinley, Lynn. "Some Honest Worke in Hand ... " English Samplers from the Seventeenth Century. Greenville, South Carolina, 2001. 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 e:J Daughter. Al'vi ERi cA¡s L EADING sM IPL ER AN D NEE D LEWORK oE\LER
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-by-step 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.
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Mount it by means of hand-sewing onto acid-free museum board that has been slip-cased with fabric appropriate to the piece itself, and at the same time stabilize any holes or weak areas.
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Re-fit the item back into its original frame, or custom-make a reproduction of an 18th or early 19th century frame using one of our exclusive patterns.
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Supply a reverse painted black glass mat, if appropriate, done in correct antique manner.
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When necessary, install TruVue Conservation Clear glass which blocks 97% of the harmful ultraviolet light.
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In the framing process, the needlework is properly spaced away from the glass, the wooden frame is sealed, and the dust cover is attached with special archival tape.
Detail of sampler by Fanny Wyman, Danvers, Massachusetts, 1799 page 9
Detail of Folwell School silk embroidery ''Virtue Leading Innocence to the Temple of Fame", A. Sheridan, Philadelphia, circa 1810 page 27
est. 1947
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