Sampler
Kennedy Sampler
Name/Title
SamplerEntry/Object ID
88.1.1Description
Susan Stevens Kennedy (b. 1812) Sampler Charleston, SC 1821 Silk thread on woven linen ground, cross-stitch Susan Stevens Kennedy (b. 1812) Sampler Charleston, SC, 1821 Silk thread on woven linen ground, cross-stitch H. 16 1/2 x W. 12 1/2 inches Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC, gift of Mrs. John Littlefield and Mrs. Frederick Deane, 88.1.1 The acquisition of embroidery skills under the guidance of a schoolmistress or tutoress had been an important accomplishment for Charleston's daughters for over a century when Susannah Stevens Kennedy completed her bold cross-stitched sampler. Dated 1821, the silk-on-linen needlework includes the headline "Charleston SC" and a stitched note stating that "Susan" finished the project "in the eighth year of her age." For the centerpiece of her sampler, Susan worked an adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States, the design of which had been adopted by Congress in 1782. Engravers Robert Scot (1744-1823) and John Reich (1768-1833) incorporated the Great Seal's eagle on designs for the reverse of several denominations of early-nineteenth-century American specie. One of the minted coins may have inspired the needlework. The daughter of Mary Ann Jane Stevens (born 1791) and Lionel Henry (1787-1841) Kennedy, Susan was born on May 10, 1812, into an important and influential Charleston family. Lionel Kennedy, an attorney-at-law, was one of the two presiding judges in the Denmark Vesey slave insurrection trial in June 1822. Susan's paternal grandfather, Lionel Chalmers (1715-1777), was a respected and experienced Charleston physician, educated in Edinburgh and noted for his investigations on the nature and origins of fever. Her paternal great-great-grandmother, Martha Daniell Logan (1704-1779), a Charleston horticulturalist, wrote the first American treatise on gardening. KS Kathleen Staples & Associates, LLC Sampler Worked By Susan Stevens Kennedy At the Age of Eight in Charleston in 1821. It Is Worked Primarily in Green, Blue, Pink and Gold Silk Thread on Linen with Alphabets in Cross Stitch. in the Center Is an American Eagle Motif with a Red, White and Blue Shield in Petit Point. the Eagle Is Surrounded By Twenty Two Stars. the Entire Sampler Is Surrounded By a "Rose Bud" Border, the Linen Measuring 16 1/2" By 12 1/2". Charleston So Ca. Susan Stevens Kennedy. Wrought in the eight year of her age and in the year of our lord 1821Artwork Details
Medium
Linen, Silk, NeedleworkCollection
Historic Charleston Foundation CollectionAcquisition
Accession
88.1.Source or Donor
Elizabeth L. Littlefield and Dorothy L. DeaneAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Elizabeth L. Littlefield (Mrs. John W.) and Dorothy L. Deane (Mrs. Frederick)Made/Created
Artist
Kennedy, Susan StevensDate made
1821 - 1821Time Period
FederalPlace
City
CharlestonState/Province
South CarolinaCountry
United States of AmericaInscription/Signature/Marks
Location
lower halfTranscription
Susan Stevens KennedyLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Tertiary Object Term
SamplerNomenclature Secondary Object Term
EmbroideryNomenclature Primary Object Term
NeedleworkNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsDimensions
Height
16-1/2 inWidth
12-1/2 inDimension Notes
[height]16.5" __[length] __[width]12.5" __[depth] __[diameter] __[size] __[other] Frame Size: 19 1/4" H x 15 1/8" LLocation
Location
Building
Charleston MuseumMoved By
Jill Beute KovermanDate
March 15, 2006Notes
Reason: Exhibition "A Proper and Polite Education" Until: 10/15/2006Location
Room
204Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseCategory
PermanentMoved By
SJDate
July 28, 2004Location
Building
NR/203Moved By
Jill Beute KovermanDate
February 23, 2004Location
Room
303Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseMoved By
JBKDate
April 2, 2002Notes
Until: / /Location
Room
303Building
Nathaniel Russell HouseMoved By
JBKDate
April 2, 2002Notes
Until: / /Location
Building
NR 303 C3Category
PermanentCondition
Overall Condition
GoodNotes
Five Small Holes in the Center of the Alphabet. Fabric Is Stained and Brown.Provenance
Notes
descended through the family to the two donors (?)Exhibitions
10
16