Hannah Nichols

During the twentieth century, Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) assembled a vast collection of antiques made and used in America between 1640 and 1860 to furnish and decorate the interiors of his home. He had a special love for textiles and needlework; as a result, he acquired more than 700
pieces of American needlework for what is now the Winterthur Museum collection.

In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, girls learned needlework skills so that they would be proficient as adults. Some learned at home; others were sent to schools to learn under skilled needlewomen. One of the first things a girl created was a sampler to showcase the various stitches she had learned. The antique sampler by Hannah Nichols (Winterthur accession no. 1964.0186) was made sometime between 1780 and 1820. Pastoral scenes were a favorite theme and often stitched on large needlework pictures. Hannah's needlework, however, is of a diminutive size and may have been
stitched as a gift or presentation piece. It is believed that she is from the Marshfield-Hingham area in Massachusetts.

The sampler is worked in cross-stitch, cross over one, queen, some freehand and half cross.

Size: measures 2 7/8" x 4" (7.5cm x 10cm)
Thread Count: Worked on 30 count (12thr/cm) linen
Colour:
Recommended Level: Intermediate
Cost: cht. $15.00
Categories: , Miniatures, Winterthur
ID: 289

All prices are in US Dollars.