Sampler

Object/Artifact

Saco Museum

Name/Title

Sampler

Entry/Object ID

2007.18.1

Description

Family register sampler made by Hannah Banks Means while she she attended the Cony Female Academy in Augusta. The needlework is worked on silk tiffany, a very fine, almost translucent silk, and is embroidered with silk threads. The text is surrounded by a leafy floral border worked mostly in satin stitch, which is typical of samplers worked at the Cony Academy. Other stitches include cross, outline, and straight. The border encloses the text, which reads: "Family Register George son of John & Eleanor Means was born at Saco Massachusetts county of York April 20th 1757 married Hannah Dautr of Joseph & Hannah Banks who was born at Saco Jan 25 1766 Their descendants are Elias Means born February ? 1786 Mary February 29 1788 John March 15 1790 George Nov 24 1792 Hannah Jan 30 1795 Olive May 4 1797 Joseph B Dec 3 1799 Mark Nov 24 1802 Cyrus April 29 1805 Elizabeth Jan 28 1810 Dorcas April 8 1813 Deaths Olive Means died Jul 11 1799 Joseph B. Sept 13 1813 Hannah May 29 1822 George Means Sept 1821 Hannah Feb 1 1848 Wrought by Hannah Means Augusta Female Academy" Several of the death dates are worked in a darker thread and were added later by another person, including that of Hannah's own death date. The is frame attributed to Cumston & Buckminster. David Buckminster's second wife was Eleanor Means, Hannah's first cousin.

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Means, Hannah Banks

Role

Needleworker

Date made

1815

Dimensions

Height

24-1/2 in

Width

20-1/2 in

Material

silk thread on tiffany

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Hannah Means was one of the eleven children of farmer George, and Hannah Banks Means. She was born January 30, 1795. Hannah attended the Cony Female Academy in Augusta, the city where her older brother John had recently relocated shortly before he married. Hannah probably returned to Saco after her period of schooling in Augusta. She died May 29, 1822. Sometime after her death, another person added several death dates, including hers, to the sampler. The frame for Hannah’s sampler was made by the Saco furniture making company of Cumston and Buckminster. David Buckminster was married to Hannah’s first cousin, Eleanor Means.

Label Type

Object Label

Label

Hannah Means (1795–1822) Family register sampler, 1815 Worked at the Cony Female Academy, Augusta, Maine Silk thread on tiffany Cross, satin, outline, and straight stitches Frame attributed to Cumston & Buckminster, Saco Collection of the Dyer Library and Saco Museum