Sailor's Embroidery

Description:

Sailors sometimes used their off-duty hours aboard ship to do hand crafts such as carving, knotting, and needlework. This sailor's silk embroidery on linen of patriotic symbols and Civil War-related scenes, was "Worked at sea by J. M. Adams" in the late 19th century. It is 20-1/2 inches long. The center vignette has "Liberty" seated on a wharf beside the "Mississippi River," looking at a three-masted ship flying the stars and stripes. She holds a pole topped with a liberty cap in her left hand and a shield decorated with stars, stripes, and the word "Liberty" in her right. An anchor and cannon balls are at her feet.

"United States of America" and "In God We Trust" are embroidered on the scene's circular frame. Atop the frame is an American eagle holding an "E Pluribus Unum" banner. A rising sun is behind the eagle, and a stars-and-stripes shield is at its feet. To the right and left of the eagle are rifles with bayonets and American flags. To the right of the frame is a sailor; at the left is a soldier in Zouave uniform. The corner vignettes depict: 1. The "Battle of Mill Creek," fought in Kentucky on January 19, 1862, ending in a Union victory and a Confederate retreat. It is based on an engraving published by Johnson, Fry & Co., New York, from a painting by Alonzo Chappel. 2.The "Death of Ellsworth" in Alexandria, Va. He was the first Union soldier killed in the Civil War. It is based on an illustration in Harper's Weekly of June 15, 1861, from a sketch by Francis Brownell, a young Zouave soldier who immediately avenged Colonel Ellsworth's death and became a national hero. 3. Monument in Charlestown, Mass; designed by Martin and Joseph Milmore. Dedicated in 187l, it reads, "Erected in memory of the heroes of Charlestown who fell in the late Civil War." 4. Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on "Boston Common," Massachusetts. Designed by Martin Milmore and dedicated in 1877.

Date Made: late 19th Century

Maker: Adams, J. M.

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: At sea

Referenced: Patriotism and Patriotic SymbolsSubject: LibertyDepicted: Liberty CapEaglesSailing ShipsFlagsSubject: Patriotic

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Textiles, Military, Sports & Leisure, Transportation, Art, Textiles

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Greenwood

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: TE.E388178Catalog Number: E388178Accession Number: 182022

Object Name: embroidered picture

Physical Description: silk (thread material)linen (ground material)Measurements: overall: 20 1/2 in x 30 1/2 in; 52.07 cm x 77.47 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-62c7-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_633610

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