Tennessee Sampler Survey

Williamson County Historical Society Journal

2011-10-23T16:54:00.006-05:00

Janet and I are pleased to announce our latest article, "19th Century Williamson County Samplers: Emerging Research." The article presents 19 Middle Tennessee samplers in full color. The cost is $25 which includes postage. To order, contact historian Rick Warwick. Make checks payable to "Williamson County Historical Society."

Rick Warwick
Williamson County Historical Society
PO Box 71
Franklin, TN 37065
(615) 591-8500 ext. 14
rwarwick@historicfranklin.com

Core, Jennifer C. and Janet S. Hasson. “19th Century Williamson County Samplers: Emerging Research.” Williamson County Historical Society Journal 43 (2012): 9-18. Descriptions of 19 Middle Tennessee samplers and biographies of the makers. 39 images.

Exhibit Opening and Lecture: The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County

2011-10-02T20:50:00.006-05:00

1826 Ann L. West sampler (TSS 156)

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is pleased to announce the opening of the traveling exhibit, Tennessee Samplers: 19th Century Schoolgirl Embroidery. The exhibit will be on view at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County in Murfreesboro from Tuesday, Oct. 4, to Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. The exhibit will subsequently tour the state, traveling to the Arts Center of Cannon County (Woodbury), the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum (Athens), and the Etowah Arts Commission.

Since 2004, the Tennessee Sampler Survey has been documenting 19th century embroidery. Twenty Tennessee samplers were selected for the exhibit, each from a different county. The exhibit presents the samplers on full-sized panels; the actual samplers are not part of this exhibit due to their fragility. Five text panels, explaining the work of the Tennessee Sampler Survey and the regional characteristics of the samplers, are also part of the exhibit. The travelling exhibit is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, CBRL Group Foundation, and the LifeWorks Foundation.

Co-curators Jennifer Core and Janet Hasson will lecture on their research at the exhibit opening on Tuesday evening, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. Original samplers including the 1831 Minerva Ann Elam (Harpeth Female Academy) sampler from Oaklands Historic House Museum, the 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler from the Sam Davis Home and Museum, and the 1826 Ann L. West (Murfreesboro Female Academy) sampler from the private collection of Dr. E. C. Tolbert will be on display the evening of the lecture. Admission to the exhibit and lecture is free.

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. The Heritage Center is located at 225 West College Street, Murfreesboro. For more information, call 615- 217-8013, email heritage@mtsu.edu, or visit www.hcmrc.org.

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Main Street: Murfreesboro/Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro, and the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. Additional support comes from Rutherford County government and State Farm Insurance.

Magnolia Sampler Guild Lecture and Exhibit

2011-09-26T22:05:00.009-05:00

Members of the Guild prepare the luncheon

Every other year the Magnolia Sampler Guild of Marietta, GA, sponsors an exhibit of members' work at Bulloch Hall in Roswell, GA. Janet and I were the speakers at the Guild's annual luncheon at the Atlanta Athletic Club on Thursday, September 22, 2011. We then visited the exhibit, which runs through Saturday, October 1, 2011.

Many thanks to our hostesses for a lovely visit!

these members are natives of TN

a really big Rolex

Atlanta Athletic Club

Bulloch Hall

some of the many contemporary samplers on display

Interview with Stitches Magazine

2011-08-24T09:42:00.003-05:00

1853 Sarah Ann Cator (TSS 108)
Grassland, Williamson Co.
16 ¹⁄4"V x 16 ¹⁄2"H
wool on 30 ct. linen

Stitches magazine staff writer Chris Ruvo interviewed Janet and me last week. Here is the result. I think he did a great job, don't you?

Exhibit Opens: TSLA

2011-08-03T10:35:00.006-05:00

preparing the panels for hanging...

The Tennessee Sampler Survey is pleased to announce the opening of a new traveling exhibit, Tennessee Samplers: 19th Century Schoolgirl Embroidery.

The exhibit will be on view at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, TN, from Tues., Aug. 2, 2011 through Sun., Aug. 28, 2011. The exhibit will subsequently tour the state, traveling to the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, the Arts Center of Cannon County (Woodbury), the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum (Athens), and the Etowah Arts Commission.

...exhibit is up!

Since 2004, the Tennessee Sampler Survey has been documenting 19th century embroidery. Twenty Tennessee samplers were selected for the exhibit, each from a different county. The exhibit presents the samplers on full-sized panels; the actual samplers are not part of this exhibit due to their fragility. Five text panels, explaining the work of the Tennessee Sampler Survey and the regional characteristics of the samplers, are also part of the exhibit.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time. TSLA is located at 403 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information call (615) 741-2764, email reference.tsla@tn.gov, or visit http://www.tn.gov/tsla/.

This exhibit is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, CBRL Group Foundation, and the LifeWorks Foundation.

Exhibit Schedule

2011-08-03T10:23:00.005-05:00

1851 Francis Elizabeth Hulme sampler
Sixth District, Williamson Co. (TSS 214)

The Tennessee Sampler Survey is pleased to announce the opening of a new traveling exhibit, Tennessee Samplers: 19th Century Schoolgirl Embroidery.

The exhibit will tour the state of Tennessee, with visits to all nine developmental districts.

Scheduled stops include:

Start Date	End Date	Location
Aug. 1, 2011	Aug. 28, 2011	TSLA, Nashville
Oct. 1, 2011	Nov. 13, 2011	Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County
Nov. 21, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Arts Center of Cannon County, Woodbury
Jan. 16, 2012	Feb. 22, 2012	McMinn County Living Heritage Museum, Athens
Feb. 27, 2012	Apr. 6, 2012	Etowah Arts Commission
Sep. 1, 2012	Oct. 8, 2012	Rose Center, Morristown

Good News!

2011-07-19T22:38:00.004-05:00

The TSS has received a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission to produce a traveling exhibit. These funds, combined with additional monies from CBRL Group and LifeWorks Foundation, will be sufficient for us to do a bang up job. We are working with graphic designer Patricia VornDick to develop the exhibit.

Janet and I are deep into the revisions of the information panels and sampler labels. The exhibit will open Monday, August 1, 2011, at TSLA.

It will then travel to the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County and the Arts Center of Cannon County (Woodbury).

(Note: This exhibit is life size photographic representations of 20 different samplers, not the actual artifacts.)

We are excited to report that the first nine months are fully booked! More details and a complete schedule to follow.

Interview with Susan Schoelwer

2011-05-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

Susan Schoelwer, author of Connecticut Needlework: Women, Art, and Family, 1740-1840, was interviewed by Jon Kay of the Artisan Ancestors website/podcast. You can listen to Dr. Schoelwer discuss how needlework provides a more complete accounting of the values, aesthetics and lives for women in Connecticut in the 18th and 19th centuries in Episode 20.

Schoelwer, Susan P. Connecticut Needlework: Women, Art, and Family, 1740-1840. Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 2010.

Exhibit Closing, Sun., Apr. 10, 2011

2011-04-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

John Holtzapple, Tom Price, and Janet Hasson

Middle Tennessee Samplers: This My Name Shall Ever Have is closing this Sun., Apr. 10, 2011. If you've been meaning to visit and haven't had a chance yet, this is the last week.

The James K. Polk Home is open Mon. through Sat. 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sun. 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The Polk Home is located at 301 West 7th St., Columbia, TN. Admission to the sampler exhibit is $5.

For more information contact the Polk Home at (931) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

Lecture, Sun., Apr. 3, 2011

2011-03-28T17:49:00.004-05:00

Columbia Female Institute
1838-1932
image: TSLA, Nashville

Janet and I will be giving a lecture on Sun., Apr. 3, 2011, 2:00 pm, at the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, TN. Our topic will be "Reading, Writing, and Refining: 19th Century Female Education in Tennessee." The lecture is the last scheduled activity in conjunction with the exhibit Middle Tennessee Samplers: This My Name Shall Ever Have, which closes Sun., Apr. 10, 2011.

Admission to the sampler exhibit is free to lecture attendees.

The James K. Polk Home is located at 301 West 7th Street, Columbia, TN 38402.

For more information or directions call (931) 388-2354 or email jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

TSS Reproductions

2011-03-10T20:38:00.011-06:00

The first sampler that I charted was the 1854 Margaret Elizabeth Kirkpatrick. The chart packet features everything that I love as a stitcher: photos of both the original and the reproduction, suggestions for adaptations, a biography of the stitcher, info on the historical importance of Middle TN samplers, and a pretty photo of Williamson County. I think the chart is easy to read and handle. The color conversions for three different fiber lines will assist anyone wanting to switch to a different line.

inside cover, showing adaptations

Individuals may purchase this chart for $18 + S/H from:
The Mad Samplar Book Company
1225 Village Drive
Yadkinville, NC 27055
(336) 961-6715
www.madsamplarbooks.com
paige@madsamplarbooks.com

You should call or email Paige with your order; the Needlework Shop section of her website is currently undergoing renovation.

The second sampler I charted was the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson. Rindy Richards and Connie Winslett stitched the model. The chart and an accompanying article were published in the Spring 2009 (Vol. 54) issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. Back issues can be ordered through SANQ. A materials kit, featuring silks from Olde Willow Stitchery, can be ordered from Martha Pullen. Olde Willow no longer produces overdyed silks, so at a reduced price of $41.40, this is the easiest and cheapest way to stitch this sampler. Please note that the materials kit (of silks and linen) does not include the chart; you must order the magazine separately.

A third chart and article were published in the Fall 2010 (Vol. 60) issue of SANQ. The 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler is in the collection of the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna, TN. Now I will tell you a secret. The 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson is charted for Olde Willow Stitchery silks. The 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson is charted for NPI, because OWS stopped producing overdyed silks. The original samplers, when examined from the reverse, are almost the exact same color palette. Even though Sarah and Mildred lived about 40 miles apart and went to different schools, they obtained their silks from the same source. (We hypothesize.) If you are a confident and adventurous stitcher, accustomed to changing colors, you COULD buy two materials kits for the Sarah Harriet Stephenson sampler and use one kit for Sarah and one kit for Mildred. Mildred used a dark green and a dark terracotta in hers that is not found in Sarah's--you would have to supplement with a few additional skeins of NPI. Do not do this if you plan on emailing or calling me every two days with complaints.

Here are the Olde Willow Stitchery silks, originally intended for the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson sampler, which can be repurposed for the 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler, if supplemented with a skeins of NPI. For $41.40, you can buy the linen and 18 skeins of silk. This is a good deal. Note that you must also purchase the back issues of the magazines for the charts. I am not going to promise that Sarah's silks will work out perfectly for Mildred's sampler, but if you plan carefully, you will be working much like the 19th century sampler makers did. They did not have control over dye lots and many samplers show where a green changed from blue-green to yellow-green midway through the grass.

I always enjoy seeing your WIP and finished pieces. Let me know if you stitch a TSS sampler.

Reproductions from Tennessee Musuems

2011-03-09T11:55:00.006-06:00

Several people have contacted me asking if any reproductions of Tennessee samplers are available. In my next post, I will feature the three samplers that I have charted, but first I wanted to direct you to the other reproductions available.

The Hermitage: Home of President Andrew Jackson has a kit of the 1817 Emily Tennessee Donelson sampler available. A complete kit can be ordered through their online shop and costs $21.95 plus S/H.

1817 Emily Tennessee Donelson (TSS 047)
original sampler in photo

The Knoxville Sampler Stitchers reproduced a birth record from the collection of the Ramsey House Plantation. The chart for the c.1811 Eliza Jane Naomi Baine Ramsey sampler can be ordered through the gift shop. Call (865) 546-0745 or email info@ramseyhouse.org.

c.1811 Eliza Jane Naomi Baine Ramsey (TSS 075)
original sampler in photo

The James K. Polk Home in Columbia has a chart for the 1812 Mary Wills Sansom sampler. Although Mary lived in Georgia when she stitched her marking sampler, she later moved to Tennessee and married Anderson Childress, the brother of Sarah Childress Polk, wife of President James K. Polk. This sampler was reproduced in the mid-1980s. The chart is hand drawn and the reproduction calls for natural linen and DMC threads. The price is $2.50 plus S/H. Call (931) 388-2354 or email jameskpolk@bellsouth.net to order.

The Polk Home gift shop also stocks all TSS merchandise, in conjunction with the current exhibit on Middle Tennessee samplers. I will describe our products in the next post.

1812 Mary Wills Sansom (TSS 021)
original sampler in photo

If you know of any other Tennessee sampler reproductions, let me know in the comments. I will add them to this post.

Gallery Guide: Wholesale Orders

2011-02-09T09:07:00.002-06:00

The gallery guide is available for bulk orders. The minimum order is 15 at $1.25 each, for a total of $18.75 + S/H. Contact Janet Hasson at janet@tennesseesamplers.com to place an order. The guide is eight full color pages, front and back. It contains an overview of each section of the exhibit, pictures of representative samplers, and a brief bibliography. Information on female academics in Middle Tennessee is also included.

Individuals should place orders for single copies through the Polk Home. To order, call (931) 388-2354 or email jameskpolk@bellsouth.net. The total mail order cost is $5.00 is for international orders, $4.50 within the United States, or $4.76 for Tennessee residents. Price includes shipping and handling and applicable taxes (TN residents only).

Class Description: 1812 Mary Wills Sansom Ornament

2011-01-31T18:41:00.002-06:00

On Sat., Feb. 26, 2011, join co-curator Jennifer Core for an ornament class. Worked on linen with cotton fibers, the Mary Wills Sansom basket motif can be stitched in the student’s choice of pink-green-blue or pink-green-yellow.

Students will receive a kit containing floss, needle, linen, stitch diagram, ornament chart, finishing fabric, biography of Mary Wills Sansom, and the previously published chart for complete antique sampler. The original 1812 Mary Wills Sansom sampler is included in the exhibit. Students should bring their usual stitching necessities, such as scissors, magnification, lights, and hoops or stretcher bars.

This workshop is offered as part of the Middle Tennessee Sampler Symposium. Cost for both days of activities is $115 per person and includes a tour of the Polk Home with curator Tom Price, a gallery talk with curator Janet Hasson, a miniature needlework workshop with Annelle Ferguson, and a lecture and the ornament class with curator Jennifer Core. To register, contact the James K. Polk Home at (931) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

Gallery Guide Now Available

2011-01-23T18:23:00.004-06:00

The gallery guide to the exhibit Middle Tennessee Samplers: "This My Name Shall Ever Have" is now available from the James K. Polk Home gift shop. The full color, eight-page booklet costs $2.50 + $2.50 to cover tax, shipping, and handling for a total of $5.00. Contact the Polk Home at (931) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net to order. Wholesale inquiries should contact Janet Hasson at janet@tennesseesamplers.com. The exhibit continues through Sun., Apr. 10, 2011.

Class Description: Miniature 1854 Margaret Elizabeth Kirkpatrick Sampler

2011-01-21T17:29:00.004-06:00

On Sat., Feb. 26, 2011, join miniaturist Annelle Ferguson for a lecture, instruction in over one stitching techniques, and a practical demonstration of her design process. Students will receive the kit for a miniature 1854 Margaret Elizabeth Kirkpatrick sampler. Annelle will explain her design process, using miniature samplers she has worked as examples. She will demonstrate how to begin designing a 1/12 scale version of the 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler. Students will be provided with graph paper so they can attempt their own designs. The original 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler is included in the exhibit. The kit for the mini 1854 Margaret Elizabeth Kirkpatrick sampler contains #48 silk gauze, Splendor silk threads, needle, and all instructions. The original sampler, a full sized reproduction, and the miniature model will all be available for students to examine. Students should bring their usual stitching necessities, such as scissors, magnification, and lights.

Annelle Ferguson is the owner of Mini Stitches, a design company specializing in needlework miniatures. She is the author of Traditional Needlework in Miniature. Annelle has been involved with miniatures since 1978, when she built a doll house for her daughter. Annelle is a member of the International Guild of Miniature Artisans, the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts, and the Miniature Needlework Society.

This workshop is offered as part of the Middle Tennessee Sampler Symposium. Cost for both days of activities is $115 per person and includes a tour of the Polk Home with curator Tom Price, a gallery talk with curator Janet Hasson, the miniature needlework workshop with Annelle Ferguson, and a lecture and ornament class with curator Jennifer Core. To register, contact the James K. Polk Home at (931) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

Schedule of Events: Middle Tennessee Samplers

2011-01-20T17:34:00.010-06:00

The James K. Polk Home, located in Columbia, TN, is pleased to announce the the following events in conjunction with the exhibit Middle Tennessee Samplers: "This My Name Shall Ever Have." All programs will take place at the Polk Presidential Hall. For more information, contact the Polk Home at (931) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

Tues., Jan. 25, 2011, 7:00 pm

Co-curator Janet Hasson will lead a gallery talk as part of the Polk's America Lecture Series.

Sun., Feb. 6, 2011, 2:00 pm

Linda Gupton, director of the Athenaeum Rectory and author of A Southern Saga, will discuss the Columbia Athenaeum and the Columbia Female Institute. Free.

Fri.-Sat., Feb. 25-26, 2011

Middle Tennessee Sampler Symposium

Tour the Polk Home with curator Tom Price, view the exhibit with co-curator Janet Hasson, stitch a miniature sampler with Annelle Ferguson, and attend a lecture and ornament class with co-curator Jennifer Core. Registration is required for this event. Cost is $115 person.

Sun., Mar. 13, 2011, 2:00 pm

Noted historian Rick Warwick will present his research on Williamson County samplers and material culture. Free.

Sat., Mar. 19, 2011, 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Parents and children of all ages are invited to a beginning counted needlework class with co-curator Jennifer Core. Registration is required for this event. Cost is $20 for each parent-child pair and $15 for each additional person.

Sun., Apr. 3, 2011, 2:00 pm

Co-curators Jennifer Core and Janet Hasson will speak on Middle Tennessee samplers and female education in the 19^th Century. Free.

Middle Tennessee Sampler Symposium, Feb. 25-26, 2011

2011-01-18T12:08:00.008-06:00

The James K. Polk Home and the Tennessee Sampler Survey will host a sampler symposium in conjunction with the exhibit Middle Tennessee Samplers: "This My Name Shall Ever Have".

Cost is $115 per person. Registration deadline is Feb. 15, 2011.

To register, contact the Polk Home at (615) 388-2354 or jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.

Nashville Scene Critics' Picks

2011-01-15T13:08:00.001-06:00

A lovely write up in the Nashville Scene of our exhibit. We are the Critics' Pick for today!

Exhibit Installation: Middle Tennessee Samplers

2010-12-24T08:35:00.004-06:00

What: Middle Tennessee Samplers: "This My Name Shall Ever Have"
When: December 17, 2010-April 10, 2011
Where: Polk Presidential Hall, The James K. Polk Ancestral Home, Columbia, TN

Here are some photos of the installation and the finished exhibit.

Curator Tom Price, standing on the world's best ladder, hangs wallpaper in the domestic interior section.

Polk Home board member Julia West irons muslin for the window coverings.

The giant sampler was printed on vinyl wallpaper. Polk Home director John Holtzapple, Janet (under the sampler), and Tom hang the introductory graphic panel.

My calculations. Fractions are hard. I refuse to deal with anything less than a quarter of an inch.

Schematic for the Little Dog samplers section.

Painter's tape--very useful.

The exhibit is up! The introductory section along the right wall and the domestic interior at the rear. The vitrine holds needlework accessories.

The Little Dog samplers.

The academic setting. Janet made the school uniform.

John, Tom, and Janet--happy to be finished.

Decorating with Samplers for Christmas

2010-12-14T20:20:00.009-06:00

Linda completed her Middle Tennessee sampler in October 2009. I finally made it over to her house to see it framed and hanging on her wall. Linda chose to stitch the horizontal version of the piece, but kept the original red palette. She used wool fibers on linen.

Christmas is a good time to visit Linda, since she decorates her entire home for the season. She has ten (I think!) Christmas trees, including a cat tree, a red and white tree, a gardening tree, a rag ball tree, and, of the most interest to stitchers, a needlework tools tree and a sampler tree.

The needlework tools are displayed in front of an antique sampler, one of Linda's favorite pieces. In addition to collecting antiques, she also stitches reproductions. Her favorite designers are the Scarlet Letter and Mary Beale.

The entrance to Linda's home features both reproductions and antiques. Some of us have sampler walls; almost every wall in Linda's house is hung with needlework.

My mom was quite taken with this reproduction of the 1826 Sarah Hatton McPhail sampler from The Essamplaire. She seems to think I should stitch it for her Christmas present this year.

One year, Linda challenged herself to make a Christmas ornament every week. She ended the year with 75 ornaments (to add to the ornaments she had already stitched throughout her life). She also does all her own finishing. She took many patterns from Mary Beale, Nancy Sturgeon, Annelle Ferguson, Sharon Cohen, Eileen Bennett, Ewe & Eye & Friends, Carriage House Samplings and the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. The result is her magnificent sampler tree.

A close up shot of the sampler tree:

Linda continues to stitch ornaments to commemorate trips and family events. At this rate, she will soon have two sampler trees.

You can read Mary Beale's account of her visit to Linda's home here and Linda's responses to Mary's questionnaire here.

Artisan Ancestors Podcast

2010-12-14T16:54:00.004-06:00

Jon Kay, director of Traditional Arts Indiana, interviewed me for his podcast, Artisan Ancestors. I discuss our research methodology and what samplers can reveal about the stitchers and their communities. You can listen to the interview on your computer or download it to your MP3 player.

Artisan Ancestors is the podcast that "explores ways to research and understand the past. Whether you’re a local historian, genealogist or just interested in learning about the everyday creative lives of people and the things they made, this program is for you."

Thanks to Jon for a fun interview!

Exhibit Dates Changed

2010-12-09T16:06:00.004-06:00

The upcoming exhibit of Middle Tennessee samplers at the Polk Presidential Hall in Columbia, TN, has been rescheduled to open on December 17, 2010, and continue through April 10, 2011. Janet, Tom, and I are all working--frantically might not be the right word--very, very hard to make this show visually appealing.

Here's a sneak peak at one of the samplers that will be featured in the exhibit:

1850 Alice Louise Bauguss

Jennifer's Letter to the Burlington County (NJ) Historical Society

2010-11-17T17:46:00.006-06:00

Burlington County Historical Society

November 17, 2010

To the Board of the Burlington County Historical Society:

I am writing to express my dismay at the theft of the 1804 Mary Bowker sampler. I am also writing concerning the Board’s decision to auction 29 samplers from the Society’s collection.

I have several questions.

1) How does this sale reinforce the BCHS’s stated mission (found on your website on November 17, 2010) “to encourage historical study and research; to acquire and preserve records, artifacts, and articles of historical interest; and to interpret the history of the area through education, programs, projects and pursuits in order to convey this historical legacy to current and future generations?”

Samplers are unique artifacts of material culture, for they contain within them the story of an individual girl, her school, her family, and her community.

2) How does this sale reinforce the BCHS’s recently adopted mission statement (found in the auction catalog on November 17, 2010) “to tell the rich history of the County to children and their families through new interactive exhibits?”

Samplers were usually made by children. Many of your samplers were made by children from Burlington County. I see from photos of your gallery space that these samplers are currently on exhibit. Would it not be possible to interpret samplers in a way that makes the rich history of Burlington County interactive? Children are fascinated by the toys, clothing, books, and yes, samplers, of their predecessors.

3) Is the Board aware that the intended use of the funds raised by the sale of the samplers is not in compliance with the American Association of Museum’s Code of Ethics? According to the auction catalog, “the sale proceeds of the needlework and furniture from the Society’s collection will be used to develop…participatory exhibitions and interpret the significant roles of transportation, agriculture, the military and the Underground Railroad.”

The American Association of Museum’s Code of Ethics states: "Proceeds from the sale of nonliving collections are to be used consistent with the established standards of the museum's discipline, but in no event shall they be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections." Exhibit planning and interpretation is not included in this category.

4) Is the Board aware that sampler and needlework research is a field that has attracted serious scholarship?

Recent studies of Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Connecticut have all shown that samplers and needlework are unique among artifacts. A careful examination of samplers can reveal the not only the stitchers’ skills and personal preferences, but also their social status, geographic origins, financial straits, and family connections. Because samplers were a domestic and educational art, practiced by young girls, they are sometimes the only record we have of that stitcher’s life. They fill in the gaps in the written record. Women were not individually named in the US census until 1850, yet they left their signatures on countless pieces of linen. In my own work, documenting 19^th Century Tennessee samplers, I have been known to travel across the state to examine one sampler. To find 29 samplers in one collection is a researcher’s dream.

5) How will the deaccessioning and sale of these artifacts affect the BCHS’s relationship with past donors? Are you sure the museum has legal title to the samplers? You must have a signed Deed of Gift or a sales receipt to prove ownership, otherwise it is illegal for you to sell them and you may run a risk of lawsuits.

I see from the auction catalog that acquisition of the samplers began in 1957, with gifts from an estate. Until 1998, the BCHS acquired samplers through a combination of donations and purchases. Have the donors who gifted the samplers been informed of the Society’s plans to deaccession them? Will potential donors be reluctant to entrust the Society with their family heirlooms? It took forty years to build the Society’s sampler collection, which will be dispersed in the space on one afternoon.

I sincerely hope that the 1804 Mary Bowker sampler is recovered. I suggest that the BCHS reconsiders the sale of these samplers and pulls them from the auction block. If the auction proceeds, I hope that new homes for the samplers are found in public institutions, where the residents of New Jersey and visitors to your state can appreciate them.

Jennifer C. Core
Tennessee Sampler Survey
jen@tennesseesamplers.com
www.tennesseesamplers.com

Janet's Letter to the Burlington County (NJ) Historical Society

2010-11-17T17:12:00.009-06:00

1811 Charlotte Beck sampler
photo: Freeman's Auctioneers

November 17, 2010

To the Board of the Burlington County Historical Society:

It has come to my attention that the Burlington County Historical Society has deaccessioned and is selling their collection of New Jersey samplers. As a former museum curator at Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, TN, I am writing to urge you to withdraw the sampler collection from the sale. Before I moved to Tennessee in 1989, I lived in Berkeley Heights, NJ, for 15 years. It was there that I developed my love for American samplers when I attended sampler exhibits at the Museum of American Folk Art and the Cooper-Hewitt. I also visited the Burlington County Historical Society several times and was extremely impressed at the quantity and the superb quality of your sampler collection.

I am now involved in a project to locate and document samplers made in Tennessee before 1900. It was previously thought that there were few samplers made in the South. After living here a few years, I discovered that was not the truth, and have been endeavoring to disclaim it ever since. Samplers were an important part of female education in the 18th and 19th century in the South as well as the North. Researching and studying them can reveal a lot about the past, not only about female education, but about culture, economics, politics, and women's place in society. Your mission statement says that you believe in research and teaching New Jersey history. If that is true, how can you even think about deaccessioning primary artifacts? As an avid researcher, I can tell you that there is no substitute for examining primary artifacts!

You claim you want to use the money for turning the museum into a more interactive museum for students. The American Association of Museums Code of Ethics states: "Proceeds from the sale of nonliving collections are to be used consistent with the established standards of the museum's discipline, but in no event shall they be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections." Your stated goal for the funds raised by this sale is in direct violation of this. I suggest you contact the AAM or your accountant before you proceed with this sale.

Janet S. Hasson
Tennessee Sampler Survey
jen@tennesseesamplers.com
www.tennesseesamplers.com

NJ Sampler Stolen

2010-11-17T16:55:00.004-06:00

The 1804 Mary Bowker Sampler

The 1804 Mary Bowker sampler has been reported stolen, last seen by the Burlington County Historical Society on October 16, when it was left in a locked room to be photographed. The museum reported the theft to the police on October 26.

Anyone with knowledge that may aid in the recovery of the 1804 Mary Bowker sampler is asked to contact the Burlington County Historical Society at 457 High Street, Burlington, NJ 08016, 609-386-4773, burlcohistsoc@verizon.net or the Burlington City Police Department at its main number, 609-386-0262, or on its tip line at 609-233-8548.

Documentation Day: Smith Co. Sampler

2010-04-18T21:55:00.007-05:00

1834 Jemima Clardy Mclelin
Smith Co.
silk on 32 ct. linen
17 1⁄4"V x 16 1⁄4"H © TSS 141

Jemima Clary Mclelin (McClelin) worked a very unusual sampler. Her large sawtooth border at the top and bottom contrasts with the floral repeat patterns found along the sides. Jemima used drawn work for the centers of the flowers on the left, an uncommon technique in Tennessee samplers.

We were able to remove the sampler from its frame and photograph the reverse, revealing a purple alphabet and yellow verse.

Jemima's signature is preceded by text from a Baptist hymn. Her mother's name is added at the end of the second line, perhaps indicating that Susan taught Jemima.

O grant me then this one request
And I will be satisfied / Susan Mclelin
That love divine may rule my breast
And all my actions guide
Jemima Clardy Mclelin. Sept. 15. 1834.

Source for text: Stennet, Samuel (1727-1795). Verse 9, “Should Bounteous Nature Kindly Pour.” A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns, 4th American ed. 1819.

Salem Female Academy: God's Acre

2010-04-04T21:17:00.010-05:00

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Rev. 14:13.

I heard a story on the radio this morning about God's Acre, the Moravian cemetery in Salem, NC, and I was reminded of the short life of Martha Ross King, who is buried there.

Martha R. King.
born Jan: 9. 1821
Knox County
Tennessee,
depd Dec: 28. 1835.

In 2008, Janet and I spent a week at Old Salem's Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in 2008, researching Tennessee girls who attended school at Salem Female Academy from 1804-1908. Four hundred and eighty-two girls made the arduous journey from Tennessee to North Carolina in pursuit of an education. Martha Ross King and her younger sister Sarah Caroline King, of Campbell's Station, Knox County, arrived in Salem on June 19, 1835. The two girls were enrolling in their mother's alma mater. Isabella Sarah McNeil [King Wright] of Knoxville, Knox Co., had spent the years from 1815 to 1818 as a student at Salem Female Academy.

Six months later after the girls' arrival, Martha died in a cholera epidemic. Sarah remained a school for another year, departing on Nov. 25, 1836.

South Hall, the dormitory where Martha, Sarah, and Isabella resided

Martha was buried with other unmarried girls and women according to Moravian tradition, though she was not Moravian. The school archives contain a letter from the headmaster to her family in East Tennessee informing them of the circumstances of her death. The headmaster assured her step-father, Dr. William Wright, that Martha was provided with the best possible care and surrounded by people who loved her as she weakened.

Martha's grave is the eighth from the bottom on the left

Sisters' Samplers: Sally Durham and Jerusha Durham

2010-03-29T17:44:00.013-05:00

Jerusha Candace Durham

The Durham sisters, Sarah (Sally) Johnson Durham (1817-1849) and Jerusha Candace Durham (1825-1880), worked two very different samplers. Sally's sampler, dated 1832, is a simple marking sampler, with the two alphabets, her name, and the date worked in cross stitch. Two rows of pulled thread work run across the top of the sampler.

1832 Sarah (Sally) Johnson Durham
Warren Co.
silk on linen
5 1/3"V x 7"H ©TSS 208

Jerusha's sampler is an elaborate affair, boasting complicated stitches such as buttonhole wheels. Jerusha included 24 sets of initials, many of them representing her two half-siblings and ten brothers and sisters.

1842 Jerusha Candace Durham
Smith Co. or DeKalb Co.
silk on 26 ct. linen
16 1⁄2"V x 17 1⁄4"H ©TSS 098

Sisters' Samplers: Susan Dysart and Clinton Dysart

2010-03-21T12:16:00.010-05:00

(left) Susan Denny Dysart, with her husband Robert S. Montgomery
(right) Esther Elizabeth Clinton Dysart

The Dysart sisters of Palmetto, Marshall Co., produced three samplers between them. Susan Denny Dysart (1831-1881), the elder, worked a remarkable piece in 1847, at the age of 16. The large building motif on Susan's sampler may be Solomon's Temple. It is also found on Minerva Ann Elam's sampler of 1831 (TSS 004). Susan's first sampler, like her second and like her sister's, is still in the original frame. The initials A.R.E. are worked at the end of her row of numbers; perhaps they indicate her teacher.

1847 Susan Denny Dysart

Palmetto, Marshall Co.
silk and wool on 24 ct. learning canvas
25 1⁄4"V x 23 1⁄4"H © TSS 170

Susan's second sampler of 1851 is smaller and less complex. Worked on an unusual blue-gray perforated paper, the motto, border, and motifs features cross, cross over one, half-cross, rice, and satin stitches.

1851 Susan Denny Dysart
Palmetto, Marshall Co.
silk and wool on 20 ct. perforated paper
9 1⁄4"V x 11 1⁄4"H © TSS 170

Esther Elizabeth Clinton Dysart (1836-1878), known as Clinton, also finished a sampler in 1851. The two sisters probably worked their samplers together, sharing materials and motifs. Clinton suffered from epilepsy and Susan cared for her younger sister until Clinton's death. According to the family, Clinton had a seizure, fell into the fireplace, and later died from her injuries.

1851 Esther Elizabeth Clinton Dysart
silk and wool on 24 ct. wool/cotton blend
Palmetto, Marshall Co.
21 1⁄2"V x 23 1⁄4"H © TSS 172

Tennessee Decorative Arts Symposium, Belmont Mansion

2010-03-15T16:31:00.006-05:00

Janet and I will be speaking at this symposium, Saturday, April 24, 2010, at Belmont Mansion, Nashville. See the mansion's website for more information.

1837-1840 Elisa J.? Holland
15 3⁄8"V x 16 3⁄4"H © TSS 124
silk on 34 V/30 H ct. linen

You are invited to join scholars, collectors, and historians from diverse backgrounds as they examine and interpret the material culture and decorative arts of the South with an emphasis on Tennessee.

Many of the early items used by Tennesseans were made out of necessity, for functional use, by local craftsman using local materials and later evolved into “fancy” works of art, furniture, and architecture. Since Tennessee was one of the first Federal territories to present itself for admission to the union outside the original colonies, an understanding of its role in the development of the South and the Nation is of great value. Tennesseans have played important roles in shaping the character of our Nation. Three presidents—Jackson, Polk, and Johnson have called Tennessee home and their involvement at the national level impacted many of the cultural affairs of Tennessee during the 19th century.

Tennessee’s three “grand divisions”— Middle Tennessee with its foothills and basin, East Tennessee with its mountainous terrain, and West Tennessee with its plains offered a variety of native materials and resources that were used by settlers in the early development of the state. This conference will highlight specific examples and recent discoveries which will enable you to see the stylistic changes clearly exhibited in the decorative arts of Tennessee and their origin. This symposium aims to address the ever growing interest in the decorative arts of Tennessee and to encourage the sharing of ideas and information. Seating is limited to 100 persons and advance registration by mail, fax, or online is required. Registration will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Lecture, William King Museum, Abingdon, VA

2010-03-08T21:12:00.006-06:00

c. 1858 Mag (Margaret) P. Evans Theorem (detail)
Greene Co.
15 1/4”V x 19 1/4”H © TSS 159
materials: pastels, pencil, watercolor
ground: paper

Janet and I will be speaking at the William King Museum in Abingdon, VA, on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm, in conjunction with the current exhibit "An Educated Woman: Art from Girls' Schools and Womens' Collages." Our lovely Powerpoint slide show, which I have spent many hours perfecting, will showcase examples of samplers and theorems from East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Visit the museum's website for directions and additional information.

An Educated Woman: Art from Girls’ Schools and Women’s Colleges

2010-01-13T19:30:00.003-06:00

January 22 through July 11, 2010

Art is interlaced in the history of women’s education. Academies used it to refine girls into ladies, and colleges instructed women in it for beautifying their future homes. An Educated Woman salutes the artistic endeavors of the women students of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee and showcases pieces such as paintings, painted ceramics, and textiles ranging from the early nineteenth century to the 1920s.

Related Events

Members’ & Lenders’ Preview
Friday, January 22, 2010, 6 to 8 pm
Please note: You must be a museum member or a lender to the exhibition to attend the Prevue. Non-members who would like to attend are invited to become museum members at the door that evening.

Gallery Talk with Curator Elyse D. Gerstenecker
Tuesday, March 2, 7 pm

Girls only! See the exhibit and create your own ornamental art project inspired by the show.
Tuesday, March 23, 7:30 pm

For more information, visit the William King Museum's web site.

1857 Rachel Frances Spears
Hipshire Hollow, Hawkins Co.
silk on 26 V/28 H ct. linen
16"V x 17"H © TSS 143

Congratulations!

2009-08-10T21:19:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Susan Houston, who won a blue ribbon in the sampler category and a very impressive purple best-in-show ribbon at the Williamson (TN) County Fair for her Middle Tennessee sampler!

Tennessee Sampler Survey: New Web Site!

2009-06-06T22:53:00.006-05:00

Please visit our new web site! We are pleased to present the results of our research in an online gallery. Check out the new sections devoted to products and education. Special thanks to our talented and patient web designer, Justin Bird, who took our ideas and realized them in a digital form. This web site revision was funded by grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Loudon (VA) Sampler Guild.

Late 19th Century and Civil War Era Samplers

2009-04-04T14:50:00.005-05:00

1860 Harriet Higgin
McNairy Co.?
23"V x 22"H © TSS 215
silk and wool on 24 ct. cotton

Despite the strains of the Civil War, Tennessee girls did not put down their needles. Needlework trends changed; Berlin work became popular throughout Northwestern Europe and the New World. Tennessee girls adapted by working Berlin motifs into traditional sampler patterns.

Harriet Higgin may have lived in Polk County or McNairy County. The style and materials of this sampler point toward a West Tennessee origin (McNairy County) rather than an East Tennessee origin (Polk County).

The latest (or youngest) sampler that we have found is dated 1883, showing that Tennessee girls continued to work samplers throughout the 19th Century.

1883 Eliza Lay
Scott Co.
16 1/2"V x 19 3/4"H © TSS 101
silk and wool on 28 V/36 H ct. linen

Map, Little Dog Samplers of Middle Tennessee

2009-03-19T22:36:00.004-05:00

View Larger Map

Map showing the locations of the homes of the stitchers. We know of 11 Little Dog samplers, ranging in date from 1831 to c. 1853.

Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly

2009-03-14T12:35:00.006-05:00

The spring issue of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly is here! The cover features a reproduction of a Tennessee sampler, the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson. In addition to the chart for the sampler, there is an article on the Little Dog samplers (of which this is an example).

The model was stitched on 28 ct. light sand linen from Zweigart using custom dyed silks from Olde Willow Stitchery. A materials kit is available from SANQ for $69 (plus S/H). Call (800) 547-4176 ext. 2 to order. Refer to order number K-JCS15.

Special thanks to RIndy Richards and Connie Winslett, who stitched the model, Janet Hasson who conducted the genealogical research, and the editors of SANQ for allowing TSS this opportunity.

Core, Jennifer C. "The Little Dog Samplers of Middle Tennessee." Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly, Vol. 54 (Spring 2009). pp. 5-9.

Core, Jennifer C. "1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson Sampler (chart and instructions)." Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly, Vol. 54 (Spring 2009). pp. 10-16.

Where is the TSS Web Site?

2009-02-23T13:12:00.004-06:00

Our web site is currently undergoing massive renovation. When it returns, visitors will be able to visit an online gallery of all documented samplers, complete with high resolution photographs and technical details. A section will be devoted to education, with pages for sampler owners and teachers.

Until the web site returns, visitors will be redirected to our blog.

Below is a sneak peak of our new home page:

Our web designer, Justin Bird, has been working hard to process all the data we have accumulated.

House Samplers of Middle Tennessee and Map

2009-02-21T00:13:00.011-06:00

Top Left
1827 Susannah D. Smith
wool? on linen
Brentwood, Williamson Co.
dimensions unknown © TSS 115

Top Right
1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson
silk on 25 ct. linen
Rutherford Co.
15” V x 15” H © TSS 157

Bottom Left
c. 1835 Harriet Daniel Bryant
silk on 22 V/28 H ct. linen
Maury Co.?
17 ½” V x 17 ¼” H © TSS 210

Bottom Right
1836 Mary Elizabeth Collins
silk on 30 ct. linen
Franklin, Williamson Co.
16 ¾” V x 16 ¾” H © TSS 128

The 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler (TSS 157) belongs to a group of four related samplers ranging from 1827 to 1836. The four samplers 1) are all square, 2) feature houses, 3) share stitch techniques (eyelet, rice, and four-sided) 4) have the same oddly shaped trees, the same color palette, and the same alphabet. We have not yet examined the 1827 Susannah D. Smith sampler, but it appears to be worked in wool, unlike the other three, which are in silk. I am eager to document Susannah's needlework--is that really a cow grazing beside her house? Mildred included a meandering stream in her landscape. The fruit baskets on Harriet's and Mary's samplers were popular motifs in Middle Tennessee throughout the 19th c. Harriet and Mary both showed a preference for tulip borders.

We have not yet established the connection among these girls, other than their relative geographic proximity and the evidence found in the actual samplers.

View Larger Map

Photograph of the 1827 Susannah D. Smith sampler courtesy of Bob Canaday/Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County.

1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson

2009-02-17T20:03:00.008-06:00

1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson
silk on 25 ct. linen
Rutherford Co.
Sam Davis Home, Smyrna
15”V x 15”H © TSS 157

The curator at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna has asked that the 1831 Mildred A. F. Nelson sampler be reproduced. The sampler was recently conserved by Norah Glickstein, who allowed me access to the reverse.

Robin Laukhuf of Olde Willow Stitchery will once again be custom dying the silks.

The Latest Tally

2009-02-16T00:14:00.004-06:00

Since we began our survey in 2004, we have documented 210 samplers. The breakdown is as follows:

45 East Tennessee
102 Middle Tennessee
6 West Tennessee
4 Alabama
3 Kentucky
3 Maryland
2 Massachusetts
1 New Jersey
1 New York
1 North Carolina
9 Virginia
4 England
1 France or Belgium
1 Germany
1 Scotland
26 undetermined

Here's our latest find. This sampler has a little dog on it. He's to the lower left of the house.

c. 1844 Frances (Fannie) Ann Collins
Franklin Co. © TSS 218

Little Dog Sampler Featured on Antiques Roadshow

2009-02-10T16:42:00.007-06:00

1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson (detail)
Maury Co. and Williamson Co.
16 1/4"V x 18"H © TSS 015

The PBS program Antiques Roadshow has featured a Tennessee sampler. The program, filmed in Dallas on June 28, 2008, aired last night, February 9, 2009. Ken Farmer was the appraiser.

The 1833 sampler by Nancy Jane Hughes is almost identical to the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson sampler. A little dog stands guard beside a four chimnied, two-story house. A rectangular catouche encloses the maker's name and the date of completion. The initials "MC" (which probably stand for "Maury County") complete the text.

See the video and photographs at Antiques Roadshow's web site.

Oldest Tennessee Sampler

2009-02-03T19:55:00.008-06:00

1810 Wincy Piercy
Wilson Co.
Trousdale County Museum and Depot, Hartsville
11 3/4"V x 10 1/2"H © TSS 097

The oldest signed and dated sampler we have documented was worked in Wilson Co., in Middle Tennessee. This marking sampler with family names and a verse was stitched on uneven 36/40 count linen.

The complete inscription reads:

Wincy Piercy Sampler july 5 1810
Sherwood and Patsey Piercy Anderson
Louisiana Williamson + Eleanor Piercy

Sherwood and Patsey were Wincy's parents. Anderson, Louisiana, Williamson, and Eleanor were her siblings.

sense and good humour ever Prove
The surest cords to fasten love

Source for couplet: Moore, Edward (1712-1757). Lines 13-14 from Fable 9, “The Young Lion and the Ape.” Fables for the Female Sex, 3rd edition. London: R. Francklin, 1749, p. 68.

SC Samplers

2009-01-19T20:33:00.007-06:00

1843 Jane McEwen Jackson with Mary Morrison Jackson
York Co., SC
17 1/4"V x 16 1/4"H
Photograph: Culture and Heritage Museums, York, SC

The latest issue of the Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts features an article on Carolina Piedmont samplers by Pat Veasey. The article expounds upon Pat's previous research, documented in the catalog Virtue Leads and Grace Reveals: Embroideries and Education in Antebellum South Carolina.

Citation for article: Veasey, Patricia V. "Samplers of the Carolina Piedmont: The Presbyterian Connection and the Bethel Group." Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts Vols. XXXI-XXXII. Issues 2, 1 and 2 (Winter 2005/2006): 103-148.

An Intriguing Find

2009-01-17T22:54:00.012-06:00

1877 Memorial Pincushion (obverse and reverse)
Hartsville, Trousdale Co.?
5 3/4"V X 5"W x 1"D © TSS 118

Neither Janet nor I have ever seen a memorial pincushion. The example above was found in the attic of an old home in Hartsville, Trousdale Co., that had been inhabited by the same family for several generations. The stitched inscription on the front reads:

GOD TOOK
Lizzie
JULY. 8th
1877.

The back features a bird motif.

The sides once held pins that spelled out words or perhaps the alphabet, as can be seen in the this view:

Pincushions like this were once used to commemorate the birth of a child. With the greeting "Welcome, Little Stranger" or similar aphorism one one side and a design on the other, the cushions were sometimes presented as christening gifts. The pins represented the pangs of childbirth.

Was this pinkeep originally intended to celebrate the birth of Lizzie and then adapted to memorialize her death in infancy?

Modern Middle Tennessee Sampler

2009-01-10T16:48:00.006-06:00

For the past three years, two groups of stitchers have been working on the Middle Tennessee Sampler, a sampler I designed based on Middle Tennessee motifs. Carol, who chose to work her sampler in a horizontal format, is the most recent finisher. Her sampler, worked in silk on linen, is picured below:

A detail of Band 4, which features turkey work:

Samplers worked by Patricia, Cathy, and Teresa can be seen in this previous post.

1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson Model Finished

2008-10-05T20:38:00.010-05:00

1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson
Spring Hill, Maury Co.
16 1/4"V x 18"H © TSS 015

Connie Winslett finished the model for the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson (TSS 015) reproduction this week. Many thanks to Connie for stitching so quickly and expertly!

Here is a sneak peak at one of the motifs--the little dog that gives this group of samplers their name (original sampler is on the left; reproduction sampler is on the right). I matched the stitching threads (from Olde Willow Stitchery, especially dyed for this project) to the back of the sampler, which account for the difference in color.

Make sure to pick up a copy of the spring issue (Vol. 54) of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly, which will publish the complete chart and an article I wrote about Middle Tennessee samplers.

1925 Anne Orr Design Studio Sampler

2008-09-23T20:04:00.006-05:00

1925 Anne Champe Orr Design Studio Employee
Nashville, Davidson Co.
22 1/2"V x 17"H © TSS 213

Janet and I documented this intriguing motif sampler during our last foray into Brentwood. Although our cut-off date is 1900, we completed a thorough analysis of this piece because of the signature.

Anne Champe Orr (1869-1946), a native of Nashville, was a well-known quilt and needlework designer. She was needlework columnist for Good Housekeeping in the 1930s. She was an entrepreneur, ultimately employing dozens of women to produce her designs and directing a successful mail order business from her home in present-day Hillsboro Village (21st and Belcourt, today the site of another Nashville institution, the Pancake Pantry).

This sampler was probably not worked by Anne Orr herself, as she held a noted antipathy towards the needle. In her book Hard Covers for Soft Times, Merikay Waldvogel quotes Orr's neighbor, Andrena Phillips, "I don't think Anne Orr knew anything about a needle…I thought it was strange that someone could do all those needlework patterns without knowing a bit about the needle."

We believe that this sampler was a product of Orr's "needlework cabinet," the model stitchers who crafted her patterns in embroidery.

Merikay Waldvogel will be presenting her most recent (quilt-related) research on Anne Orr at the 2008 seminar of the American Quilt Study Group, to be held October 2-6 in Columbus, OH.

Waldvogel, Merikay. "Refining the Tradition: Anne Champe Orr, 1875-1946." Soft Covers for Hard Times: Quiltmaking and the Great Depression. Nashville,TN: Rutledge Hill Press, 1990, pp. 24-37.

Article on Tennessee Samplers

2008-09-19T14:07:00.004-05:00

An article I wrote for Needle Arts, published by the Embroiderers' Guild of America, is in the latest issue.

The article is an overview of the work we do. Three samplers, one from each part of the state, are featured.

The Embroiderers' Guild of America is "is a national non-profit educational organization offering study and preservation of the heritage and art of embroidery."

Citation for article: Core, Jennifer C. "Tennessee Samplers." Needle Arts. September 2008: 12-15.

Documentation Day in East Tennessee

2008-08-09T20:26:00.005-05:00

1845 Minerva E. Carmack
Hawkins Co.
13 3/4"V x 10 1/2"H © TSS 217

Hawkins County, in northeast Tennessee, was founded before Tennessee was incorporated as a state. The Rogersville area was settled beginning in 1775. This early settlement accounts for the significant percentage of samplers that we have found from Hawkins County (five of 30 East Tennessee samplers/embroideries to date).

Minerva E. Carmack stitched that she was "Aged/17.ys" in "May/1845" in the space around the house.

c. 1800-1805 Mourning Embroidery

2008-08-05T10:12:00.009-05:00

c. 1800-1805 Mourning Embroidery
East Tennessee?
19"V x 16 1/4"H © TSS 216

We documented a mourning embroidery yesterday. The piece was found in the attic of a house in Knoxville. We hope, through land deed searches, to connect it to an East Tennessee family. The texts on the embroidery, which are rendered in ink, read:

In Death Remembered
As in life Beloved

NOT LOST BUT GONE BEFORE

In Memory of
MAB
Who Departed
1794

Mourning embroidery was extremely popular in the first quarter of the 19th century, from 1800 to 1825. A young woman would, if she were fortunate to attend a female academy, work a memorial as the culmination of her needlework eduction.

A professional artist or an artistically inclined teacher would draw the pattern on silk. The young woman could then tint the background with watercolor and embroider the main motifs.

The only date on this embroidery is "1794," but that is the date of the death of the individual being memorialized, not the date of creation. It was probably worked within ten years of 1794.

Texts on Samplers

2008-07-25T13:09:00.007-05:00

When we document a sampler, we are always careful to copy any texts exactly as they were stitched. The moralist verses can appear again and again throughout the 19th century. Since most of our stitchers failed to follow APA or MLA format, I often page through online hymnals in search of the author.

The 1851 Francis E. Hulme sampler contains four verses from three different sources: Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, and Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans. Charles Wesley (1707-1788), early leader of the Methodist church, wrote lyrics for 5000 to 8000 hymns, including "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing!" and "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing!" Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was less prolific, with only 750 hymns to his credit. He does retain the title of "Father of English Hymnody," having the advantage of age over the upstart Wesley. Watts' verses include "Joy to the World!" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." Poet Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans (1793-1835) was well known in her life-time; Percy Bysshe Shelley, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth were among her admirers.

O God most merciful and true
Thy nature to my soul impart
Establish with me the covenant new
And stamp thine image on my heart

source: slight variant of Verse 1, “O God, Most Merciful and True,” words by Charles Wesley

We walk by faith of joys to come
Faith lives upon his werd
But while our body is our home
We’re absent from the Lord

source: Verse 4, Hymn 110, words by Isaac Watts

[L]o! the dream of [life is o’er]
[Pain] the Christians [lot] no more
Kindred spirit [rise] with me
Thine the [meed] of [victory]

[Significant thread loss indicated by brackets]

Now no more shall virtue faint.
Happy spirit of the saint.
Thine the halo of the skies.
Thine the seraph’s paradise.

source: Verses 1 and 3, “The Song of a Seraph” by Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans

Verse 1 is above the white house and Verse 3 is above the red house. Francis stitched Verse 1 in lavender wool thread, which has suffered loss. Verse 3 was worked in a light blue wool thread, which does not contrast sufficiently with the ground fabric to appear in the photograph.

Documentation Day in Brentwood

2008-07-23T00:30:00.009-05:00

Monday was a very productive day. Janet and I documented two samplers in the morning from a private collection, then planned our itineraries for more documentations trips, make a quick stop at OfficeMax (where we are well known to all the staff), documented a Williamson County sampler in the afternoon, and then I attended a seminar presented by the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (a very worthwhile organization) on copyright law.

We are up to 215 samplers now.

Our afternoon was somewhat marred by problems with the lighting kit. As I was preparing to shoot the gray card/first overall capture, one of the the light bulbs burst, rather spectacularly. Fortunately, I had set up on hardwood, not carpet, so a broom and dustpan cleared away the shattered glass. We decided to let the equipment cool down and then pack it up. The owner has expressed an interest in having the sampler conserved, and I will be able to get better photos when it is removed from the frame. The light kit has been performing admirably up until now, and considering the number of times I have set up and broken down those tripods...I guess we can't complain too much.

I did get some images by using the ambient light and a long exposure, though the sampler is much more vibrant and impressive in person. Here's the latest from Williamson County:

1851 Francis E. Hulme
Williamson Co.
Private Collection
© TSS 214

We are very excited about this sampler. It shows a clear relationship to the 1854 Margaret Elizabeth Kirkpatrick (TSS 010) and the 1855 Sarah Ann Brown (TSS 002). The maker, Francis Elizabeth? Hulme, was 23 when she worked it, which is ten years older than most of our stitchers. In fact, she is the oldest stitcher we have found. The Hulme family lived in District 6 of Williamson Co. Francis finished the sampler in January 1851 and married in December 1851. Sadly, she died in 1854, probably from complications of childbirth.

1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson Schematic

2008-07-10T20:57:00.002-05:00

I met with Rindy Richards, who is stitching the model for the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson reproduction (TSS 015) this evening. We refined some color selections. Rindy is such a beautiful and productive stitcher. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Sampler Consortium

2008-07-01T13:04:00.004-05:00

The Sampler Consortium is a newly formed, international organization of scholars, historians, curators, educators, genealogists, textile conservators, collectors, dealers, and needlework experts interested in the study of historic samplers and other girlhood embroideries.

The Sampler Consortium has three major objectives:
1. To advance the study of historic samplers and other girlhood embroideries;
2. To increase access to information and research relevant to the study of historic samplers and girlhood embroideries;
3. To design, develop, and support projects that advance the study of historic samplers and other girlhood embroideries.

http://samplerconsortium.org/

New Web Site

2008-06-26T16:32:00.015-05:00

We are planning to revise and expand our web site this fall.

I received a letter today announcing that the Tennessee Arts Commission will be granting us half the amount needed for this project.

Last month, we received a significant contribution from the Loudoun (VA) Sampler Guild toward the new web site.

I am working on a grant application to Humanities TN for the remainder of the monies. We will find out in September if we qualify for funding.

Our thanks to the TAC and the LSG for these funds.

Look for changes to the web site--an online exhibit and an educational component--in the middle of September 2008.

Modern Middle Tennessee Samplers

2008-06-04T22:36:00.006-05:00

For the past two years, two groups of stitchers have been working on the Middle Tennessee Sampler, a sampler I designed based on Middle Tennessee motifs. Three people have finished. Their samplers are below:

Patricia

Cathy

Teresa

Report from DC

2008-05-30T17:58:00.006-05:00

Janet called this morning to report that her presentation on mourning motifs and texts in Tennessee samplers was well received at the DAR symposium.

She has elected to stay an extra few days to research some elusive Tennessee girls in the DAR's vast genealogical library.

The exhibit continues through August 30, 2008. Four Tennessee samplers/embroideries are included in the exhibit:

1850 Mary E. Halfacre
Union Academy
Isabella S. Wallis Slate, teacher
Franklin, Williamson Co.
Private Collection
23 1/4"V x 24 3/4"H © TSS 008

1851 Isabella S. Wallis Slate
Union Academy, teacher
Douglas, Williamson Co.
Private Collection
7 1/4"V x 9 3/4"H © TSS 018

These two samplers have descended in the same family. Isabella was Mary's teacher at Union Academy. Isabella made the small motto sampler as a gift for Mary and personalized the poem with her name.

1857 Rachel Frances Spears
Rogersville Synodical College, Rogersville
Hipshire Hollow, Hawkins Co.
Private Collection
16”V x 17”H © TSS 143

1868 Annis Franklin Kyle
Salem Female Academy, North Carolina
Rogersville, Hawkins Co.
Private Collection
39 1/2”V x 27 1/4”H © TSS 144

These two pieces have descended in the same family and hang in the same room. Although Rachel (called Frances) and Annis were not related to one another when they completed their needlework, the families have since intermarried. These two artifacts are good examples of a traditional sampler that was done in the Backcountry under local supervision and a Berlin cross stitch that was completed at a young ladies' academy.

1826 MS Sampler

2008-05-19T15:32:00.006-05:00

We have located one sampler from Mississippi so far. An inscription on the back of the frame helped identify the maker.

1826 Lidia Simmons
© TSS 095
Charleston, Tallahatchie Co., MS
Historic Rock Castle, Hendersonville

The sampler is in the collection of Historic Rock Castle in Hendersonville, TN.

Trip to AL

2008-05-10T22:04:00.010-05:00

After dodging tornadoes, I arrived in Birmingham Thursday afternoon for my lecture. I spoke to Birmingham NeedleArts, the EGA chapter. My topic was "A Textile Tour of Tennessee, with a Detour into Alabama."

My hostesses worked hard to make my stay very pleasant!

Our research has led us to four AL samplers, pictured below.

1823 Kezia G. Campbell
Florence, Lauderdale Co., AL
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville
16 3/4"V x 17 1/2"H © TSS 065

1829 Alice A. Dupuy
M. A. Rowe’s Academy
Monte Sano, Madison Co., AL
Private Collection
© TSS 201

1840 Caroline Day
AL
Private Collection
9"V x 12"H © TSS 121

1855 Martha Bushnell
Walker Co., AL
Private Collection
14 1/8"V x 12 1/8"H © TSS 122

DAR, Washington, DC, Samplers and Silk Embroideries Symposium

2008-04-07T21:49:00.007-05:00

What: “Another View: 19th Century Samplers and Silk Needlework,” a symposium in conjunction with the exhibit Telling Their Stories: 19th Century Samplers and Silk Needlework (April 11—August 30, 2008)
When: Thursday, May 29, 2008; registration opens at 8:30 am, program begins at 9:15 am and concludes at 3:30 pm
Where: DAR Museum, 1776 D. Street NW, Washington, DC 20006-5303
Speakers: Janet S. Hasson, Betsy Garrett Widmer, Amy Finkel, Dr. Mary Beaudry, and Olive Blair Graffam
Contact: (202) 879-3241; museum@dar.org
Fee: $85 (includes continental breakfast and boxed lunch)
Additional information: this symposium is in conjunction with the exhibit "Telling Their Stories: Samplers and Silk Needlework" from April 11 to August 30, 2008. Exhibit description: "The nineteenth century brought tremendous change to Americans. The country and population expanded greatly. Families were dispersed with the ever-popular westward movement. The industrial revolution changed forever a consumer society. The country survived major and costly wars. The nation grew from a small republic to an international power. Does the handwork of girls and young women relate to such dynamic change? In this exhibition of 19th century needlework, the DAR Museum attempts to tell some of their stories."

Trip to West TN

2008-04-07T20:55:00.006-05:00

Last week, from Wednesday to Friday, Janet and I made our first foray into West Tennessee. We adhered to a tight schedule! We documented two samplers and have a strong lead on a third. We met with an antique maps dealer (to discuss the inclusion of period maps in our book) and the dean of the school of arts at Lambuth University (to discuss a upcoming conference on the decorative arts of Tennessee). Janet spoke to the Chief Piomingo chapter of the DAR. We stayed with our West Tennessee board member in her lovely home, which truly could be a B&B. We left West Tennessee with over 60 images and a generous donation; we will soon return!

This sampler now lives in Memphis, though it was worked in Williamson Co.

Mary S. Sutton
September 30, 1834—July 13, 1912
Williamson Co.
July 27, 1848
Wool and silk on linen
21 ½ vertical x 18 ½ horizontal
Private Collection
TSS 017

Mystery Sampler Revealed

2008-03-27T20:56:00.011-05:00

Mary Elizabeth Terrell
February 28, 1836—July 10, 1917
Burwood, Williamson Co.
September 18, 1846
Wool on cotton learning canvas
16" vertical x 17" horizontal
Private Collection
TSS 196

Our most recent documentation is the Mystery Sampler that I referred to in an earlier post (02/19/2008). Our "Little Dog" makes an appearance. The name "Mary de Patterson" appears above the cartouche. Janet's research has revealed that Mary Elizabeth Terrell's family made payment to Mary D. Patterson for embroidery instruction. We have found the elusive teacher for the later samplers in this group.

Upcoming Events

2008-03-27T10:18:00.007-05:00

What: lecture, Janet Hasson, "A Beautiful Mourning: Melancholic Sentimentality in Tennessee Samplers"
Where: Biblical Resource Center, 140 E. Mulberry St., Collierville, TN 38017
When: Thursday, April 3, 2008, 2:00 pm
Host: Chief Piomingo Chapter, DAR
Contact: Nancy Bassett, (901) 854-9578
Chapter web site
Biblical Resource Center
Additional information: attendees are invited to bring antique samplers for examination.

What: lecture, Jennifer Core, "Textile Tour of TN with Detours into AL"
Where: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 3775 Crosshaven Drive, Birmingham, AL 35223, (205) 967-8786
map
When: Thursday, May 8, 2008, 7:00 pm
Host: Birmingham Needlearts, EGA chapter
Contact: Karen Taylor
Birmingham Needlearts regional news
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Additional information: attendees are invited to bring antique samplers for examination.

What: lecture, Janet Hasson, "A Beautiful Mourning: Melancholic Sentimentality in Tennessee Samplers"
Where: DAR Museum, 1776 D St., Washington, DC 20006
When: Thursday, May 29, 2008
Host: DAR Museum
DAR calendar
Additional information: this lecture is in conjunction with the exhibit "Telling Their Stories: Samplers and Silk Needlework" from April 11 to August 30, 2008. Exhibit description: "The nineteenth century brought tremendous change to Americans. The country and population expanded greatly. Families were dispersed with the ever-popular westward movement. The industrial revolution changed forever a consumer society. The country survived major and costly wars. The nation grew from a small republic to an international power. Does the handwork of girls and young women relate to such dynamic change? In this exhibition of 19th century needlework, the DAR Museum attempts to tell some of their stories."

Color Palette

2008-03-05T23:22:00.004-06:00

The silks from Olde Willow Stitchery arrived today. Robin did a fabulous job of matching the colors to the original 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson sampler. The model stitching begins this weekend!

The silks are shown against the ground fabric I have selected, a 28 ct. light sand linen from Zweigart.

Mystery Sampler?

2008-02-19T22:18:00.008-06:00

The best part of our work is receiving emails and phone calls alerting us to previously unknown samplers. My pulse races when I see the words "mystery sampler," "unknown sampler," or "sampler help" in an email heading.

Today our colleague Rick Warwick emailed us an image of a sampler and some family history on the stitcher. This new-to-us sampler, an exciting find, clearly belongs to the "Little Dog" grouping. It comes with a very extensive provenance. The sampler also has additional names and initials on it, which may help us identify the teacher.

Every sampler adds to our understanding of the ones we have already documented. I hate jigsaw puzzles, but I love patterns and repetition. When I unfold my map of Tennessee, and see that two girls who worked similar samplers in the same year lived less than five miles from one another, I feel as if I have been invited to a very select party.

Above, the "Little Dog" from the 1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson sampler (TSS 015), the piece I am currently charting for reproduction.

1831 Sarah Harriet Stephenson

2008-02-18T10:47:00.014-06:00

Sarah Harriet Stephenson
January 1, 1819—February 11, 1848
Spring Hill
Williamson County/Maury County
Tennessee
June 18, 1831
Silk on linen
16 ½” vertical x 18” horizontal
Private Collection
TSS 015

I've been charting the second sampler for reproduction. Rindy Richards will be stitching the model, with silks custom dyed for us by Olde Willow Stitchery. Rindy and I went to visit the sampler on Friday and match both DMC and NPI to the obverse and reverse.

The model will be worked with the colors from the back. This sampler is part of a group of five I am calling "The Little Dog Samplers of Middle Tennessee." The charting has been going well--Sarah was a good little stitcher with regular repeats in the border and dividing band. The owner was stunned that I thought this sampler was worth reproducing. She said, "Will people really be interested in this?" Rindy said, "The colors are beautiful, it is in great condition, it has the name, exact date, and county in the inscription, there are an upper case alphabet, lower case alphabet, and numbers, we know a lot about Sarah, and it has a house and a dog! Of course people will want to stitch it!"

I can't begin to describe how lovely and intense the colors are. The blue just jumps out at the eye. Terracotta, chartreuse, lavender... somehow they all come together to make a beautiful piece.

MESDA Needlework Seminar, March 13-15, 2008

2008-02-15T20:10:00.006-06:00

What: Annual MESDA Needlework Seminar
Where: Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts,
Winston-Salem, NC
When: Thursday, March 13, 2008, 9 am through Saturday, March 15, 2008, noon
Fee: $350 (includes dinner, 2 lunches, all sessions, admissions, and object studies)
Contact: Martha Ashley, MESDA, PO Box 10310, Winston-Salem, NC, 27108-0310, (336) 721-7360, oldsalem.org.

This year' event, "Needlework and Textiles of the American Backcountry," explores the circumstances under which sampler making, quilting, and weaving were practiced in the culturally diverse backcountry of Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee after the Revolution. The stories of these textiles and their makers are stories of tradition, religion, and innovation. Participants will study objects from the museum and private collections. Registration required.

Speakers: Johanna Brown, Jennifer C. Core, Laurel Horton, Kimberly Smith Ivey, Kathy Lesieur, J. Roderick Moore, L. Scott Philyaw, and Kathleen Staples.

New Note Cards

2008-02-12T20:11:00.007-06:00

East Tennessee

Susan G. V. Mountcastle
b. 02/03/1829—d. 08/11/1850
Hawkins County, Tennessee
1842
silk on linen, original frame
23 1⁄2 vertical x 23 1⁄2 horizontal
Private Collection
TSS 043

Middle Tennessee

Martha E. Sutton
b. abt. 1833—d. abt. 1905
Bedford County, Tennessee
July 1850
wool on linen
18 1⁄2” vertical x 20” horizontal
Private Collection
TSS 153

West Tennessee

Sarah Elizabeth Jones
b. abt. 1836—d. ?
Henry County, Tennessee
July 3, 1849
wool on linen
8 1⁄4” vertical x 17” horizonatal
Private Collection
TSS 082

Each six card set includes images of three Tennessee samplers–one from each region of the state. Proceeds from the sale of these note cards will fund Tennessee Sampler Survey research.

Individuals may purchase sets for $12 + S/H from:

The Mad Samplar Book Company
1225 Village Drive
Yadkinville, NC 27055
(336) 961-6715
paige@madsamplarbooks.com
http://www.madsamplarbooks.com/

Tennessee residents should inquire at their local museum or needlework shops.

Wholesale inquiries contact Janet Hasson: janet@tennesseesamplers.com or (615) 377-3556.

Funded by: CBRL Group Foundation * LifeWorks Foundation

Design by Susan Houston * Cards by Douglas Printing

Our First Chart!

2008-02-12T16:50:00.008-06:00

Last week, I picked up our first chart from Douglas Printing. Amy and Susan came to Janet's house for a stuffing party.

The four of us, working three hours, packaged all of the charts and 2/3 of the cards. The printer had shorted us 1000 envelopes, so we had to stop before we were completely finished.

Robin Laukhuf of Olde Willow Stitchery distributed the charts and cards for us at the Nashville Needlework Market. I think we did well! Robin gave away 180 freebies.

Our chart has everything that I love as a stitcher: photos of both the original and the reproduction, suggestions for adaptations, a biography of the stitcher, info on the historical importance of Middle TN samplers, and a pretty photo of Williamson County. I think the chart is easy to read and handle. The color conversions for three different fiber lines will assist anyone wanting to switch to a different line.

Having a graphic designer (Susan) supervise the production really made this a professional product, worthy of the nominal price!

Proceeds from the sale of this chart will fund Tennessee Sampler Survey research.

Individuals may purchase this chart for $18 + S/H from:
The Mad Samplar Book Company
1225 Village Drive
Yadkinville, NC 27055
(336) 961-6715
www.madsamplarbooks.com
paige@madsamplarbooks.com

Tennessee residents should inquire at their local museum or needlework shops.

Wholesale inquiries contact Janet Hasson:
(615) 377-3556 or janet@tennesseesamplers.com.