Sampler (embroidered)
Name/Title
Sampler (embroidered)Entry/Object ID
2024.07.15.03Description
Hand embroidered Sampler, coarse linen ground with black, brown, yellow, and green silk embroidery floss. Design consists of an outer border with floral vines surrounding alphabet sets and written passages. Written elements are as follows: a set of uppercase letters, a set of lowercase letters, the maker and date of manufacture “Mary K Richards wrought this in 1832 aged 18”, followed by a description of the family lineage: “Family Register: Births Mr. Luther Richards was born Sep 19th 1783. Miss Sarah Kinnecutt was born Nov 30th 1783. Susanna Richards was born Dec 15th 1811. Mary K Richards was born July 10th 1813…… The last passage on the bottom PL side is illegible due to loss of fibers but may include references to Mr. Luther Richards or Miss Sarah Kinnecutt and their date of marriage. According to Ancestry.com, Mary K Richards was known as Polly, and birth years of the family vary between historical registers but denote that the family was from Warren, Rhode Island. Further research into the format of the sampler may lead to the identification of the governess or schooling of Mary Richards. See Betty Ring’s Let Virtue Be a Guide to Thee (1983) or Girlhood Embroidery, American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850 (1993).Category
Textile