Textiles - Overview
The 50,000 objects in the textile collections fall into two main categories: raw fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and machines, tools, and other textile technology. Shawls, coverlets, samplers, laces, linens, synthetics, and other fabrics are part of the first group, along with the 400 quilts in the National Quilt Collection. Some of the Museum's most popular artifacts, such as the Star-Spangled Banner and the gowns of the first ladies, have an obvious textile connection.
The machinery and tools include spinning wheels, sewing machines, thimbles, needlework tools, looms, and an invention that changed the course of American agriculture and society. A model of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, made by the inventor in the early 1800s, shows the workings of a machine that helped make cotton plantations profitable in the South and encouraged the spread of slavery.
"Textiles - Overview" showing 40 items.
Page 1 of 4
Sukey Foster's Sampler
- Description
- One script alphabet with letters colored in pairs; no "J"; three rows separated by simple crossbands. Below verse, three flowering plants (one in vase) and two-story building with four chimneys standing next to tree on hill. Center section outlined by three sawtoothed bands and short strawberry-vine band. Border of wide geometric flowering vine on top and two sides, and band of shaded satin stitches across bottom. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, crosslet, chain, detached chain, petit point, outline, satin, hem. THREAD COUNT: warp 32, weft 28/in.
- Inscriptions:
- "The fairest flower will soon decay
Its fragrant loose and splended hue
So youth and beauty wear away
And vanish is the morning dew
- Sukey Fosters Work
Wrought in the tWelfth
Year of her age
Cambridge
August 20 1803"
- Background:
- Sukey was born on March 10, 1791, to James and Sukey Foster in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. She married William Adams on September 17, 1818, and they had four children—Susan Ann, William, Hannah Foster, and Mary Jane. Sukey died in West Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 13, 1846. Her sampler descended in the family of her son William.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1803
- maker
- Foster, Sukey
- ID Number
- 1980.0849.01
- accession number
- 1980.0849
- catalog number
- 1980.0849.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Elizabeth Shermer's Sampler
- Description
- One lower-case alphabet; six block alphabets; 26 letters. Numbers 1 through 17. Three practice eyelets, one worked in red cotton, two worked in red wool. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, tent, four-sided, eyelet, upright cross. THREAD COUNT: warp 26, weft 39/in.
- Inscription:
- "Elizabeth Shermer's
work done in the
eleventh year of her
age
1833"
- Background:
- This may be the Elizabeth Shermer who was born to Anthony and Anna Barbara Diehl Shermer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The sixth alphabet on her sampler is very unusual and has been found on other Pennsylvania samplers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1833
- maker
- Shermer, Elizabeth
- ID Number
- 1985.0856.01
- accession number
- 1985.0856
- catalog number
- 1985.0856.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Adaline Ann Williams's Sampler
- Description
- Block upper-case alphabet all one color. Block lower-case alphabet all one color. Script alphabet all one color, no "J." Numbers 1 through 9. Rows separated by simple geometric crossbands. At bottom of sampler, three strawberry plants with brown and white seed stitches decorating strawberries. In lower right corner, floral swag with cords and tassels above patterned basket of flowers. Simple geometric border on all four sides. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, crosslet, seed. THREAD COUNT: warp 25, weft 24/in.
- Inscriptions:
- "Adaline Ann Williams Aged 12 Years Done
In The 35th Year Of The Independence Of The
United States Of America July 24th AD 1810.
- Bef[s]et with snares on every hand
In lifes uncertain path I stand
Saviour divine diffuse thy light
To guide my doubtful footsteps right
Engage this roving treach'rous heart
Great God to chuse the better part
To scorn the trifles of a day
For joys that none can take away"
- Background:
- This is probably the Adaline Ann who was born on July 16, 1798, in Hartford, Connecticut, to John and Sarah Powers Williams. She married John Bois Turner on September 25, 1855.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1810
- maker
- Williams, Adaline Ann
- ID Number
- 1988.0831.02
- accession number
- 1988.0831
- catalog number
- 1988.0831.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Rebecca Ballinger's Sampler
- Description
- Two block upper-case alphabets, no "J," alternate colors. One block lower-case alphabet of alternate colors. Numbers 1 through 9. One crown. Satin-stitched sawtooth crossband; one crossband worked in Irish stitch, also basket and two large diamonds in lower half. Two weeping willow trees, each with bird in its top, and three boxes, one containing verse and two containing maker's name and date and group of initials. Box on right side contains initials "WB," "CB," "JS," and "EJ." Box on left side contains initials "WB," "LB," "WP," "EP," "NU," "CU," "WB," "EB," 'SB," "MB," "LP," and "LU" as well as "Rebecca Ballinger 1830." Strawberry border. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, Algerian eye, satin, rice, Irish, queen, crosslet, long-armed cross, gobelin. THREAD COUNT: warp 24, weft 34/in.
- Inscription:
- "In thy fair book of life divine
My, god, incribe [sic] my name
There, let it fill some humble place
Beneath the slaughter'd Lamb"
- Background:
- Rebecca was born on March 22, 1814, to William and Lydia Smith Ballinger in Pipe Creek, Maryland. The family moved to Ohio in 1819, and Rebecca stitched her sampler under the tutelage of Ann Thorn in Jefferson County. The initials on her sampler are of her grandparents, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, and two nieces who died in infancy. The initials in black are family members who had died by the time she stitched her sampler. Rebecca married Thomas H. Terrell as his second wife on April 22, 1863.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1830
- maker
- Ballinger, Rebecca
- ID Number
- 1989.0343.12
- accession number
- 1989.0343
- catalog number
- 1989.0343.12
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Mary W. Tyler's Sampler
- Description
- Two block alphabets. Upper-case alphabet has 26 letters; lower-case alphabet has no "J." One script alphabet with no "J" or "U." Numbers 1 through 14. Border of a vine with triangular flowers or leaves. Silk embroidery thread on linsey-woolsey; blue linen warp, tan wool weft. STITCHES: cross, Algerian eye, hem. THREAD COUNT: warp 27, weft 26/in.
- Inscription:
- "Embroidry [sic] decks
The canvas round
And yields a pleasing view
So virtue tends
to deck the mind
and form its blisful [sic] state
Mary W Tyler aged 12 years
- Background:
- This may have been made by Mary Welles Tyler, born on April 2, 1792, to Nathan and Nancy Tyler, or by Mary Whitwell Tyler, born on June 23, 1798, to Royall II and Mary Tyler.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1775-1825
- maker
- Tyler, Mary W.
- ID Number
- 1991.0764.01
- catalog number
- 1991.0764.01
- accession number
- 1991.0764
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
M. A. Hofman's Sampler
- Description
- Flowers, people, building with fence, crossbands, inscriptions. Top and sides have floral border with eight-pointed star at center top. German alphabet of capitals, no "J." Script alphabet of capitals, no "J." Lower-case alphabet has both "I" and "J" with "w, x, y, and z" smaller than rest of alphabet to make them fit. Silk embroidery thread on cotton ground. STITCHES: cross, satin. THREAD COUNT: warp 25, weft 26/in
- Inscriptions:
- "School No 7"
"M. A. Hofman
Carlisle
1848"
- Background:
- Public schools were established in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1836, and needlework and sampler making were part of the curriculum. After grade three, the girls and boys where separated and went to different schools. For the girls, one afternoon each week was devoted to needlework. There are samplers in existence from School No. 7 and School No. 8. It is thought this work was done under the tutelage of Miss Fanny Webber, who taught from 1836 to 1863. M. A. Hofman has not yet been identified.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1848
- maker
- Hofman, M. A.
- ID Number
- 1998.0130.01
- catalog number
- 1998.0130.01
- accession number
- 1998.0130
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Priscilla Dutch's Sampler
- Description
- Script upper-case alphabet, & at end; second line completed with geometric vine; block upper-case alphabet; lower-case alphabet, & at end. Fourth row completed with geometric vine. Fifth row, numbers to 14, completed on each side with geometric vine. Alphabets and numbers separated by simple crossbands; simple crossbands separate above from Family Record and inscription. Geometric vine separates inscription and verse. Floral motif on each side of verse. All above enclosed in simple geometric border. Outer border of flowering vine that emanates from Grecian-style urn at bottom center and bows at top center, at lower left, and at lower right. Inked pattern for outer border visible. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: satin, encroaching satin, queen, chain, outline, cross. THREAD COUNT: warp 32, weft 28/in.
- Inscriptions:
- "Family Record
Daniel Dutch born f[s]eptember 3 1765 Sarah Dodge born June 12 1766
were married september 17 1786 Nathaniel Dodge Dutch born
september 10 1787 Daniel Dutch born march 7 1790 died may 12 1791
Sarah Dutch born march 20 1792 Daniel Dutch born december 28
1794 Priscilla Dutch born september 9 1797 Mary Dutch born
november 12 1800 Isaac Dodge Dutch born december 21 1803
Mrs Sarah Dutch died February 7 1808 in the 42 year of her age
Priscilla Dutch wrought this sampler in the 11th year of her age 1808
As this fair sampler shall continue still
The guide and model of my future skill
May Christ the great exemplar of mankind
Direct my ways and regulate my mind"
- Background:
- Priscilla was born on September 9, 1797, to Daniel and Sarah Dodge Dutch, near Ipswich, Massachusetts. She married Ebenezer Putnam, a widower, on May 7, 1844. They did not have any children, but Priscilla was a mother to the thirteen children of Ebenezer and his first wife, Betsey Webb Putnam. Priscilla died on April 18, 1856, in Massachusetts.
- Date made
- 1808
- maker
- Dutch, Priscilla
- ID Number
- 1999.0083.01
- catalog number
- 1999.0083.01
- accession number
- 1999.0083
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
[Margaret] C. Simmons's Sampler
- Description
- One script and four block alphabets. Numbers to 10 and to 16. Two large and one small alphabet colored in groups of two; fourth alphabet colored in groups of four; numbers and smallest alphabet one color. Rows of alphabets and numbers separated by geometric crossbands; some geometric motifs used to fill spaces on rows of alphabets. Lower third of sampler contains two urns of free-stitched flowers surrounding large basket of fruit with side leaves. Geometric design border on all four sides. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, crosslet, satin, Algerian eye, rice, double herringbone, stem, four-sided. THREAD COUNT: warp 29, weft 29/in.
- Inscription:
- "[Margaret] C. Simmons Work Washington City Oct th 2 d
1827"
- Background:
- Margaret was born about 1819 to James and Mary Simmons. James is listed as a cooper, a barrel-maker, living at the Navy Yard in the 1822 Washington, D.C. directory. The court records of the District of Columbia record the marriage of Margaret C. Simmons to Patrick Dowling on May 9, 1839. In 1847 they had a son named Julius, who married Rosa M. Kuhn on January 10, 1877. Julius enlisted to serve in the Civil War in 1864 under the alias name of John Dickson. Miss Simmons's first name is missing from her sampler, but she made another sampler, typical of Navy Yard samplers, that included her whole name. Finding that sampler in a private collection made it possible to identify this sampler. Margaret died sometime after the birth of Julius in 1847, and before October 2, 1852, when her husband Patrick remarried.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1827
- maker
- Simmons, Margaret C.
- ID Number
- 2000.0143.01
- catalog number
- 2000.0143.01
- accession number
- 2000.0143
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lydia Dickman's Sampler
- Description
- Two block alphabets with no "J" or "U" with each letter in alphabets and each word in inscription different color. Ten narrow decorative crossbands, three wide crossbands, and narrow geometric crossbands separating these and lettered rows; last crossband has row of strawberry(?) motifs against background solidly filled with cross stitches and first nine letters of lower-case alphabet. All four edges hemstitched with yellow silk thread. Wool and silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, two-sided cross, eyelet, marking cross, gobelin, satin, tent (petit-point), hem. THREAD COUNT: warp 46, weft 43/in.
- Inscription:
- "LYDIA DIC
KMaN IS MY NAMe AND ENGL
AND IS MY NATION aND BOST
ON IS MY DWeLLING PlaC aND
CHRIST IS MY SALVATION DON
e IN THIRTeeN YeAR OF MY
age 1735"
- Background:
- Lydia was born about 1722, and married Francis Shaw of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1745. They had one son, Thomas, who was born December 11, 1745. Lydia died in Boston on December 26, 1746, just a year after the birth of her son.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1735
- maker
- Dickman, Lydia
- ID Number
- TE*E388182-a
- catalog number
- E.388182-a
- accession number
- 182022
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Elizabeth Mason's Sampler
- Description
- Three block alphabets. No "J"; numbers to 18 and to 9; alphabets and numbers colored in groups of two. Rows of lettering and numbers separated by geometric crossbands; also two wide crossbands; one geometric strawberry vine, and one geometric vine with free-style roses, with guide-lines drawn under roses. At bottom of sampler, stag and doe on hillocks, surrounded by birds, butterflies, trees, flowers, under angular garland; stag and doe have satin-stitched collars. Name and date appear in flower-shaped medallion hanging from garland. Border of band of sawtoothed satin stitch and geometric carnation vine on all four sides. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, crosslet, stem, satin, Algerian eye, straight, bullion. THREAD COUNT: warp 36, weft 29/in.
- Inscriptions:
- "See How The Lillief[s] Flour White And Fair
See How the Ravenf[s] Fed From Heavenf[s] Air
- Arif[s]e Thou King of Kingf[s] Arif[s]e And Reign
Except Thy Worf[s]hip SprinG All Worf[s]hipf[s] Vain
- Elizabeth
Maf[s]On her
WOrk Ma
de
in the 11
Year Of
her ag
1783"
- Background:
- Elizabeth Mason was probably from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1783
- maker
- Mason, Elizabeth
- ID Number
- TE*E391808
- catalog number
- E391808
- accession number
- 71679
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center